Transplanted Dragon
by Solor Barnes
Summary: Part 3 of Double Dragon series. Edward Barnes, in a partial reversal of "Double Dragon Trouble" is sent to Solor's original universe (in King Of Emerald's main storyline) where he is separated from his home and even the people he loves but is eventually rescued in time to welcome a baby girl. Chapter 10 uploaded. Solor and Kreinyol (Starfire) get married at last!
1. Prologue

Author's note: Solor of the Light is owned by "The King of Emerald", Used by permission. Edward Barnes is owned by Splinter1, likewise used by permission. Teen Titans is owned by DC Comics/Cartoon Network/Warner Brothers.

**Prologue**  
**[Titans Tower]**

_Edward Barnes writes..._

_They say that a universe's history is changed by the smallest decision and that other universes are created when a decision or factor changes._

_I know that for a fact. During the planning of Solor and Starfire's wedding, one aspect of a Tear of Oblivion came into play that had severe repercussions on a lot of people and dragons. Like what happened in my universe, history is repeating itself, but in Solor's universe. His original universe, that is. The fight with Trigon never happened as I think that when Solor was tossed to my world, there were two Solors created. One ended up in my home, and the other one merely bounced back to his universe without ever meeting me. Therefore, the timeline that was experienced, at least to this Solor, never happened at all. Trigon won't be summoned for a while, and if my remembered history of the Teen Titans is correct, this is at least two years before I meet my team._

_The link to my Raven is gone. It was snapped when I landed here and I am not a happy dragon. What's worse, in this world, I do not exist at all. In fact, while the dragons I know certainly exist, they do not know me, either. I thought that the culture shock was bad the first time. This is not going to be easy for me._

_I know who did this and when I return, the Dark Dragon that sent me here will not live long enough to regret crossing me. But, I have to wait until I am rescued and hope that day isn't too long in coming._

**[Crossover universe - a year after "Trigon's Dark Army"]**

Edward and Rachael had spent the last year preparing for two major events. The first was a new arrival as they welcomed a beautiful daughter into the world. After they returned to their universe, it did not take long for her to become pregnant. After much discussion, they opted for Callisto Paula Barnes for the baby's name, to honor Edward's first loves and with the arrangement that the next child would be named to honor those Raven held dear.

The second was helping to plan Solor and Kreinyol's wedding in their universe. And that's where the problem started.

Edward and Rachael were visiting the Teen Titans to continue the planning, and to spend time with Soskrein, Solor's daughter.

Now, Soskrein was a unique baby dragon, a hybrid of light and dark dragons who was also developing quite fast. She had already learned to talk and had taken her first flights recently, much to everyone's surprise. But, imagine her surprise when she learned that she could alter her form! It took both Solor and "Uncle Beast Boy" to assure her that she was actually normal and that the discomfort of shapeshifting she would get used to. She panicked when her bones shifted, but, at Solor's gentle coaxing, she continued her lessons. When Edward would visit, she would pepper him with questions about his own morphing abilities. Edward would explain it to her in terms she could understand.

However, there was evil afoot in the Dark Lair. While the first Grand Darkness had been killed at the end of the war, there were still Dark Dragons who wanted revenge on those who defeated them, especially older dragons who were unwilling to accept their defeat and one of them was Nightmare. He had failed in his mission to capture both Rachael and Raven and was a marked dragon. He had to redeem himself in the eyes of the other Dark Dragons regardless of what Vilea said. She had been flipped near the end of the war and was trying to reintegrate the Dark Dragons into Lair. It was slow going as the younger dragons were willing to go to Lair, but, the older ones were refusing to return to Lair and in denial that Oblaan had been vaporized, especially hearing that Oblaan had been killed by a mere youngster.

So, Nightmare decided to carry out his threat against Edward. Nightmare knew that Edward was one of the strongest Dragons who fought for Lair against Trigon a year ago and combined with Solor, managed to defeat both of the big players in the war. Edward and Solor had teamed up to send Trigon packing along with the mortal heroes of the world and Oblaan had made the mistake of enraging Solor to the point he access a Primal Blessing. Oblaan defended himself, but, the power Solor used overwhelmed the much older dragon. After that, the Dark Dragons were defeated.

He decided to wait until it was obvious that he could catch Edward unaware and open a Tear of Oblivion to a different universe. The fact that Edward and Rachael were not visiting more than a couple days out of the month made it harder for Nightmare to figure out when to strike, at least initially.

But, what he did manage to do was possess Beast Boy for a while. He took control one evening when his defenses were down and he would think he was dreaming anyway. He looked at the calendar to determine when Edward's next physical visit would be.

He didn't count on Soskrein walking up to him, wanting to play. It took all his self-control not to break her neck, even though it would frame Beast Boy perfectly. He told her that he had other things to do and would play with her later. She looked at him funny, though, before walking away.

He returned Beast Boy to Terra's side and departed, leaving Beast Boy thinking that he had a weird dream.

Now, today, Soskrein was sitting anxiously at her spot at the dining room table, eating her high-protein breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and ham. She was currently in a human form, having been told by her father that she needed to practice using hands like a normal human. She was in the body of an average 8 year old girl, with red hair that matched Kreinyol and the tanned skin that Solor's human form had. The only thing about her that showed she wasn't human was her eye color, which was blood red. That tiny detail was still hard for her to alter, and she couldn't keep her eyes from changing back after a few moments, so until she got more practice shape-shifting, she was stuck with red eyes. Which was fine with her; she thought they looked cool.

"When is Uncle Edward coming?" she asked her father, who was sitting next to her, eating a similar breakfast.

Solor chuckled at her, smiling. "Well, someone's anxious to see her favorite uncle." He looked at the clock. "Well, he'll be here in maybe thirty minutes. It depends on what he's planning to bring. You know he's helping me and your mother plan the wedding."

"Thirty minutes is too long!" she retorted. "I want him to be here now!"

"Susie", Solor said, calling her by her human name, "you must learn to be patient. Uncle Edward waited over three thousand years before he knew who his mother was. You can wait fifteen minutes for him to get here."

Soskrein grumbled, and took a bite of bacon. "I still want him to hurry up", she said, her mouth full.

Solor poked her in the side, causing her to squeak. "No talking with your mouthful. You're a dragon, not a pig."

Susie chose to reply after she finished her bite. "Of course not. If I was, I wouldn't be eating bacon."

"Okay, smartypants", Solor jabbed back, chuckling. "And if you were, then I'd be gobbling you up."

"But you won't, because I'm too cute to eat", Susie countered, smiling.

"Oh really?" Solor said, suddenly pulling her over. She let out a small shriek before laughing as he pretended to eat her, placing his mouth on her neck and tickling lightly with his teeth.

Kreinyol chose that moment to walk in, hearing her bumgorf laughing down the hall. "Husband, what have I said about letting Soskrein finish her breakfast before you try to eat her?"

Solor only stuck out his tongue. "You're just jealous because she likes me more", he said to his wife. "Isn't that right, Soskrein?"

"Mommy! Help me! He's gonna eat me!" was the reply, laced with high pitched giggles.

"Spoilsport", Solor muttered, and let his daughter go so she could finish her breakfast. He spoke up in the dragon tongue. _"Have you been keeping up with your lessons, Soskrein?"_

_"Yes, Father", came the little girl's reply. "Aunt Raven has been helping me with my languages, Uncle Robin with my combat training, Uncle Cyborg with technology, Uncle Beast Boy with my shapeshifting, and Aunt Terra with my geography. And Grandpa has been calling every night to help me with my history lessons, both human and dragon."_

"What about your Tamaranian studies?" asked Kreinyol in her own native tongue.

"I've been able to keep up pretty good, k'norfka", Soskrein said, smiling at her adoptive mother. "I still have a few hiccups with the history of Tamaran, but I think I have the language down pretty well."

"You know you can always ask, my dear bumgorf," Kreinyol replied with a smile.

"Good", Solor said, smiling. "I'm glad you're not slacking at all. I'm sure you'll make your ancestors proud with how you're progressing." He took another bite of his breakfast, finishing it up before dabbing his lips with a napkin. "Now, hurry up, Soskrein. I'm sure Edward would love to see you in your Hello Kitty pajamas, but I think you'd rather get ready so you can play with him a bit before he has to work with me and your mother."

"Yes, Daddy", Soskrein said, smiling before she began finishing her breakfast, only a few bites left. Once she finished, she headed for her room to get ready.

"Isn't it amazing?" Solor said to his wife. "It seems not too long ago that Soskrein was a mere hatchling and just beginning to worm her way into our friends' hearts, and now she's morphing into a mortal form and learning three languages at once. Where does the time go?"

Kreinyol laughed, and walked over to him. "If anyone would know, it would be you. You are the oldest of us all."

"And yet the mystery of time eludes even us Dragons", Solor replied. "It also makes me wonder... how different would we be if we never met Edward? Or if Vilea and I never had Soskrein?"

Kreinyol shook her head, forcing Solor to face her. "I would rather not think of the would have and could have been. I want to focus on the can be and will be. We only have a few months before the wedding. After that, in the eyes of humans, we will be married. And I still wish we could hurry this up."

Solor chuckled, kissing her lips. Even now, a couple years after they've gotten together, he still loved her as strongly as the day he told her that he did. "My love, we are married. And I understand, wanting the rest of the world to see it that way. That is the only reason why I want to go through with this, because you want to go through with it as well. But we must be patient; we needed to pick a time when Edward and Rachael are both able to visit and perform their duties as Best Man and Maid of Honor. And with Rachael nearing the end of her pregnancy, we should wait a little longer until she is used to being a mother. As much as it is about us, we wouldn't even be together right now if it weren't for them."

"I understand", Kreinyol said, smiling. "I am happy for them, and cannot wait to play with the little one."

"You'll make a great godmother", the dragon said. "Come now. Let us prepare for Edward and Rachael's visit. I'm assuming Rachael won't want to move very far, so I'll take Edward and Soskrein to the park so that we can talk without disrupting your planning here at the tower." He took his wife's hand, leading her away so they could prepare for the day.

**[Dark Lair]**

Nightmare was plotting as he knew that Edward and his "mate" would be arriving at some point and he was ready. He felt it necessary to avenge the loss of Oblaan and if his plans worked right, he's punish Edward and his allies in one fell swoop.

"They will rue the day that they banished Trigon and killed Grand Darkness! Then, once they are out of the way, Vilea will be reminded why we will never cower before the Light! She will be forced to abandon her hopes of redemption because the Circle will turn on her for allowing their favored Child to be banished forever!"

Nightmare was sure that this would demoralize those pesky Titans as well. He had realized when Solor was temporarily banished to the cursed hybrid's universe that the Teen Titans were not at their best, and, when that alien girl also disappeared, the Teen Titans were badly demoralized. If Edward were to be successfully banished, his mate would be very demoralized thinking he was dead.

**[Edward's universe - Titan Tower]**

Edward was concerned. He needed to go visit Solor but, wasn't sure if Raven should continue to make the trips. She was already 8 months along, almost 9 months, actually and even though the Tower's AI predicted a normal human pregnancy, there was the fact that his baby girl was also half Dragon, 1/4 human and 1/4 Trigon made things interesting. The sonor grams over the months did indicate a "normal" hybrid was developing, even Edward had no idea what that would entail as his son was born almost 200 years before sonor grams were invented.

"I'll be all right," Raven said, picking up on Edward's concern, "The Tears aren't sucking us in and spitting us out like they did with Solor and his Starfire. The baby is well protected anyway. The sooner we get the plans finalized, the better for everyone."

"I know," he replied, "But, for some reason, I'm worried that something still could go wrong, probably over there. I hope it's nothing."

Little did they know...Darkness had plans for them that would affect three universes!


	2. Edward banished!

**[Crossover Universe - Titan's Tower] **

After everyone was awake and ready to go, Raven had the tear open. Solor was waiting with his wife and the rest of the team, while Soskrein was still in her room, playing with some of her toys while she waited for her uncle to arrive.

After a moment of the Tear opening, Edward and a very pregnant Rachael walked through, and Solor smiled, glad to see his best friend. He walked over, pulling the denizens of the other universe into a friendly hug. "Hello, Edward, Rachael. It is good to see you again." He smiled at his "older sister". "And how is little Callisto treating you?"

Rachael smiled. "I'm sure that when she is born, she'll bring a lot of joy into my life." She then frowned. "As of right now, though, she's killing my back."

Solor chuckled. "That sounds like a complaint belonging to the department of Edward."

"Yuk it up, hatchling", Edward said, smiling. "How is Susie doing? I'm surprised she hasn't tackled me yet."

As if on cue, the doors opened as soon as he was done talking, and a little red blur sped through the room, right towards its target and knocking Edward over. "Uncle Edward!" cried out the young dragon, nuzzling her uncle. "I missed you!"

"Hey, Susie", Edward replied, chuckling. Good thing he was strong enough to handle the human Soskrein. "How have you been? Doing alright?"

"Yep! Daddy keeps trying to eat me, though."

Edward let out a laugh, along with Rachael. "Well, who's fault is it that you're so adorable?" he teased, lightly poking Susie on the side. "Now, get up. If we're going to play, I'll need to be able to move."

He made a move to "eat" Susie which got a squeal out of her and she jumped up and ran behind Rachael. That got a laugh out of the resident Raven.

Solor nodded, helping his brother up. "So, Susie... you up for flying to the park today?"

Susie's eyes got real big. "You're gonna let me fly to the park myself?"

"With supervision from me and Uncle Edward, of course. We don't want anyone thinking you're going to hurt the kids, right?" he said, winking. A lot of the city knew about Soskrein, so that wasn't really an issue.

Then, again, since the end of the war, dragons were becoming commonplace. The end of the war, as it happened after Trigon was banished, was captured on video and was the talk of the planet for weeks afterwards. It was one reason why Solor got an inflated ego for a while. That didn't last long, though, as the entire team learned Solor's physical weakness: He was incredibly ticklish! The team members took turns torturing him, except for Raven who only used her powers on him for a few minutes before saying "You're done. Just remember to keep that famous ego in check."

In fact, the President was as good as his word, meaning that he asked Congress to send him a bill allowing dragons to fly over the country and that Edward and his Titans were exempt from immigration laws given that they were citizens of the USA in Edward's universe. He also took the unusual step of issuing a pardon to Edward and his team just in case some folks wanted to charge them with illegal entry. That, however, was kept in his desk drawer. Congress, out of a rare sense of bipartisanship, had the bill drafted, sent to the relevant committees and was passed in the House and Senate easily. The President signed the bill into law with the Teen Titans there. Edward was not able to attend that, so, entrusted Solor with any words of thanks.

The Circle realized that the genie was well and truly out of the bottle and even if they wanted to retreat, they couldn't. So, it was decided to stay in the open, but, staying out of the way of the world's governments. There was talk of treaties to formalize the status quo, but, the Circle respectfully declined, saying that even a treaty could be seen by some as interfering with mortal affairs. They were also busy training Grand Death's heir because the Circle was not complete since the current Grand Death had stepped down. Solor was the official liaison between the Circle and the mortal world anyway, a task that since he settled down, he relished.

But, at the Tower, Edward nodded, "You're ready, Susie. Poppa and uncle will be right there just in case. How is your shapeshifting coming along?"

"It's still uncomfortable," she said.

"It will be until you get used to it," Edward said, "Your big cousin in my world had the same problems with the bones shifting. After a while, you don't notice it anymore. Keep working with Uncle Beast Boy and Daddy. You'll be fine."

He looked at her eyes and saw they were glowing red.

"We'll have to work with you on the eyes, sweetie," Edward said, "They are a dead giveaway to your true nature. There will be times when you have to blend in. That's why Uncle Beast Boy can't blend in as another animal. He stays green.

"Think of your eyes as the lights in your room. You can turn them on or off, right?"

Soskrein nodded, "Yes."

"It's a simple switch that allows power to go to the light or keeps power from the light. I want you to practice turning off your glowing eyes or allowing them to fade on or off. Watch me for a moment."

Edward's eyes slowly went from their normal look to yellow, then, through orange into the same shade as Soskrein's eyes.

"Cool!" she said. She had rarely seen Edward's eyes change color unless he was actually emotional. This time, he was completely calm.

"Now," he said, "I want you to focus on dimming your eyes to the way mine usually look. Look into my eyes, sweetie and try to follow me."

She nodded and as Edward slowly returned his eyes to normal, she tried her best. She managed to get her eyes to the same "turned off" status as Edward and they stayed that way for several moments, but, as soon as she lost concentration, they lit back up.

"Darn it!" she said.

"Keep practicing," Edward encouraged, "Cousin David went through the same thing. His eyes would glow a lot when he was about your age. It's like morphing, you'll get used to it and it will be second nature to you. Daddy's eyes have a lot of different colors as well.

"I like this, though," she countered, "It's neat!"

"You won't get an argument out of me, but, the humans out there are still getting used to dragons and would not understand," Edward explained, "They would think the worst and that you are in a bad mood, so, it's really important that you practice daily on controlling your eyes."

"OK, Uncle," she said, "Can we go to the park now? I want to play!"

"Sure thing!" Edward said. He gave Rachael his trans-universal communicator and picked up a regular Titan communicator. He didn't want to be called away by Nightwing or one of his team mates back home, but, available for the local Teen Titans, just in case.

"We'll be back later, dear," he said, "If anything comes up..."

"I know," Rachael said as she carefully sat down. She certainly was not up to heavy activity, in fact, Cyborg put his foot down, and told her that she was no longer fit for active mission duty. It was something that Edward also agreed with. She fumed at the duty restrictions, but, when Nightwing glared at her, she kept her peace.

Edward picked up his adopted niece and the three dragons headed for the roof.

"A beautiful day to stretch the wings!" Solor exclaimed as he went to his hybrid form. Edward nodded, "That it is." He set Susie down and morphed to his mini-dragon form.

Soskrein went to her dragon form and winced a little bit before extending her wings.

"Yep," Edward said to her dad, "It's still a little painful for her to morph."

"She gotten better in the last month," Solor said, "Beast Boy's been a huge help."

"I'm glad to hear that," Edward said, "He's matured a lot in the last few months. Is Robin letting him lead the team now?"

"Robin actually listens to him more and does allow him to lead in the training simulator," Solor said.

"So, he's not tossed out the window?" Edward asked.

"Raven's cool with him, so, no," Solor replied, "Besides, her and Robin are quite close now. They've started dating since your last visit."

That got a huge smile out of the older dragon! He hoped that the seed he planted when the war ended would take root. Raven had lost Beast Boy in two universes, and Robin never had a chance with Kreinyol. So, it was logical that Edward gave a gentle nudge to the two.

"Let's go!" Soskrein complained.

"Ok, Ok!" Edward said playfully, "Seeing how this is your first solo flight, I think Daddy and Uncle will be right beside you. What's the first thing that you do to start flying?"

"Get a running start," she said.

"That's one way," Solor said, "And it's how we're going to do it today."

Edward nodded.

"What else?" Solor said, "What do you do when you reach the end of the Tower?"

"Jump off and flap my wings," she said.

"What direction?" Solor asked.

"Down," she replied.

"Good," Edward said, "What happens if you don't do that important move?"

"You fall, silly," Soskrein said.

"Right," Edward replied, "You go into a dive. Sometimes, that's what you want, but, as you're a beginner, let's get you used to the joy of flight."

She giggled, "That's what k'norfka says."

Edward smiled, "You know that when she was a little bumgorf, she could fly? It's one of the first things a Tamaranian learns how to do?"

"Soskrein's been learning about Tamaran," Solor said, "She's also learning different languages from Raven and Kreinyol."

"Excellent!" Edward said, "But, time's a wasting."

"Can I go first, daddy?" she asked.

Edward winked at Solor, so, he said, "All right."

"YAY!" she cheered and ran off at full bore. Edward and Solor raced to keep up with the young dragon as she jumped off the edge of the tower.

As Edward mentally crossed his talons, Soskrein took her first downstroke and started flapping her wings hard.

Edward and Solor also took to the air and caught up with her.

"Easy," Solor coached, "You'll tire out flapping that hard. Feel the air currents as you fly. Use them to glide."

"How do you do that?" she asked.

"Easy," Edward replied, "When your wings are straight out, don't move them up or down. If the air currents are going up, you can rest your wing muscles for a minute."

As Solor was closer, he said, "Watch me."

He started gliding, as did Edward since there was a good updraft. Soskrein wasn't sure but, did as she was told.

"This is fun!" she said over the wind.

[The guys are enjoying the show,] Rachael said.

[I got a feeling Cyborg's recording this for posterity,] Edward said before relaying the message.

Solor laughed, "Oh, I would expect him to be recording this day."

By then, the updraft ended and all three were casually flapping their wings as they came ashore and headed for the main park.

They flew on and Solor told his baby girl how to land with Edward offering to show her. He was silently impressed as she was a natural flyer.

They arrived at the park and looked for a safe spot to land. It didn't take long for the folks enjoying the park to clear an area for the three to land.

Edward landed first, allowing his back legs to take the gentle impact as he backwinged to lose his forward speed.

Solor was next to land safely and Soskrein came in a little too fast and almost crashed, but, managed a relatively good first landing. Meaning that she had to pick herself up.

"Not bad for the first time," Edward said, "You're a fast learner."

"Thanks!" she replied happily. She loved when Uncle Edward would be pleased with her. She especially loved it when he'd take the time to play with her.

A few of the parents were happy to see Soskrein and Solor. They visited a lot when they could, and had made plenty of friends there. Of course, there were still people who weren't exactly happy with dragons, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Even if they voiced their opinions, most dragons were a master of ignoring them. The few that weren't all managed to talk their way out of a real confrontation. Solor remembered a few weeks ago, he had to talk to an irate father who didn't want his son playing with some overgrown gecko. Instead of lashing at him, Solor managed to get between him and his daughter and talked him out of his anger. Eventually, the father apologized to both him and Soskrein, and now his son was good friends with her.

Several parents and kids walked over as the trio morphed to their respective human forms, Susie wincing once again.

Unknown to any of them, there was one extra child there who had some nefarious plans for Edward. Nightmare was hoping that kids were one of Edward's weaknesses.

Nightmare waited, though. He needed to make sure that only Edward was taken. He needed Solor and Soskrein to not be harmed physically. he wanted to punish them a different way.

As the families began conversing, Soskrein noticed Nightmare playing by himself. Curious, she began to approach the boy, ignoring the world around her. Something about him seemed... familiar. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but it felt like she had sensed this aura before. As she got close, Nightmare suddenly noticed her approaching him. Deciding that he would need a good distraction for Solor, he tapped into some of his inner strength and shoved her away just as she got close.

Solor noticed his daughter falling to the ground, and quickly moved. Edward was a bit distracted, and could not check on his niece as he was talking with some of the families. As the Light Heir approached his daughter, he noticed her eyes were wide as she stared at the boy. "Susie?" he called out, kneeling next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Daddy", she said, still in shock, "are most boys that strong?" As she spoke, she raised her hand, pointing at the child that had pushed her away. Solor followed her gaze and finger, and once his eyes fell onto the child, he felt his blood go cold.

The boy also had red eyes.

Solor saw the boy turn, extending his hand as he faced Edward, who by now was finally noticing what was happening and was beginning to approach Solor. Solor immediately realized what was happening, and opened his mouth to speak before the words from Nightmare began to echo in the park.

"Bex nu! Luv do Oblivion!"

At that instant, Edward could feel the suction before he saw the tear. Behind him, like what he had seen years ago, was a single tear, with a very powerful force trying to pull him in. Immediately, the much older dragon dropped to the ground, grabbing onto the earth and holding as tight as he could.

Solor roared, wanting to attack Nightmare. Unfortunately, his priority was pulling Edward away from the tear. If he could get the older dragon far enough away, then the tear would eventually collapse on itself, and they'd be able to apprehend the Dark Dragon. So, in an attempt to save his brother, he charged, grabbing onto a metal fixture of the playground near Edward, reaching with his free hand. "Edward! Take my hand!"

Edward, meanwhile, was trying his best to crawl away. However, he noted that the suction was getting stronger the longer the tear was open, and he looked around. While he was the target, a lot of parents and kids were trying very hard not to get pulled in themselves. He knew if this kept up, everyone would be pulled in. He looked at Solor, locking eyes for only a mere moment.

The younger understood, but it didn't make it any easier. He felt the tears form in his eyes, and he let his expression become stone cold. "We will find you, brother."

Edward gave a sad smile. "I know you will."

Then... he let go.

As soon as he flew through the hole in reality, it shut down, leaving everyone else safe. Solor hit the ground hard, beginning to sob. Soskrein, in the mean time, was staring in shock. She had never seen that spell cast like that before, and she knew it was a transportation spell of some sort. She turned to the boy that cast it, glaring. "Where did you send Uncle Edward?" she demanded, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Why did you take him?"

The boy only smirked. "Be glad that's all I'm going to do today", he said, his voice surprisingly old. "Because tomorrow I'm going to make your family's life a living hell."

Soskrein growled. "You won't do anything to my family, you freak! Now, bring him back!"

"I can't", said Nightmare. "I didn't have time to punch in coordinates. I saw my chance, and I cast my spell. He's probably long gone now. And you'll never see him again!"

"LIAR!" she roared, her eyes glowing blood red and her aura becoming surprisingly dark. "BRING BACK UNCLE EDWARD NOW!" And just like that, the anger she felt towards this boy, the desire to do something to help her Uncle... awoke something in her. Her aura shot through her hands, and for a brief moment, Solor could see her soul, a mix of Light and Darkness, enter the boy's mind. Since he wasn't expecting it, Nightmare was immediately knocked unconscious by Soskrein's attack, and the two "children" immediately crumpled to the ground.

Solor stared at his daughter and the other child, and knew that he needed to bring them home right away. As he picked up their bodies, he could hear his communicator going off. He answered as soon as he had Soskrein on his back and Nightmare in one arm. "Solor here. I'm assuming this is Rachael?"

"Where is Edward?" she said, and he could hear the pain in her voice. "I... I can't sense him anymore..."

"I'll explain when I get back. Tell Robin I have a prisoner to interrogate. A very... Dark... prisoner."

That told Rachael more than Solor let on and she collapsed from the strain. She not only couldn't feel Edward … the link had snapped as well. She was caught by Starfire and set on the couch before she hit the panic alarm, causing everyone in the Tower to race to Ops.

Raven took one look at Rachael and announced, "Something bad has happened. The link between Edward and Rachael has been severed. I can't hear the echo any longer."

"What happened?" Robin said.

"From the echoes I picked up, Edward was attacked in the park," Raven said, "It didn't last very long, though."

By then, Solor had returned, having cast his own Tear to the Tower and jumped through it quickly.

"Edward's gone," he said, "This kid cast a Tear of Oblivion and Edward was pulled through. He could be anywhere and without coordinates, it's exactly what happened to me and Starfire. He could be someplace in the future, but, that's unlikely since he could teleport back. He's possibly in another universe."

"So, call him," Kreinyol said.

Solor pulled his communicator and tried calling Edward, only to hear the communicator that Edward left behind chirping.

Solor closed his communicator and swore heavily in the native tongue.

"Of all the times he leaves it behind!" Solor said, "Now, we have no way of finding him in this universe or any other."

By then Starfire noticed that her adopted child was out cold and said, "Soskrein?" When there was no reply, she tried again, louder.

"What happened?" Robin said before she went into a full panic.

"I don't know," Solor said, "After Edward disappeared into the tear, she confronted him. I thought I saw a soul-self going into this other child."

That got Raven's attention in a hurry. She floated over and placed her hands on either side of Soskrein's head and said after a moment, "She's not there at all. She's invaded this other child's mind. We'll worry about the how later, but, she could be in the right place to help us."

"Her dark powers have awakened," Rachael said as she sat up, "I think seeing Edward attacked shocked her to the point that the powers asserted themselves early. She's untrained and she will need help getting out. And if this other child wakes up, she will be forcefully ejected and without the training...she may be harmed beyond anyone's ability to fix. Raven, you will have to go into the male child's mind as my powers in that area are disrupted due to the baby. Take Starfire with you, and only her. Solor will be needed here to start the search for Edward...and may Azar have mercy on this child's soul because if my husband cannot be recovered, I shall send it to TRIGON!" Her voice changed at the end as her demon side came into play. Her eyes switched from two to four blazing red eyes as well.

Solor immediately moved to Rachael's side. "We will find her, Rachael. They were able to find me when I was launched to your universe. With the knowledge we have now, we shall be able to find Edward much quicker. For now, though, I need you to calm down. As powerful as you are and I'm sure Callisto is, I'd rather not have anything happen to you when you're so close to giving birth. I do not want to face Edward's wrath, either. Please... for Callisto's sake."

At the mention of her child, Rachael immediately began to work to calm down. Her four eyes changed back into two, and she sat back down. "You're right... I've gotta keep calm if I'm going to keep her safe."

"Just relax. I promised Edward that I would find him. And I will as soon as I can make sure the rest of my family is already safe." He turned to Raven and Starfire. "Sis, Kreinyol, follow me to the infirmary. We shall hook these two up, bind the Dark child, and then we shall find Soskrein. I will keep you both safe while you look for her inside the Dark dragon's mind." He turned to Robin. "If you wish, you may come as well. Cyborg should keep tabs on Rachael, and Beast Boy and Terra should return from patrol soon. We can update them then."

Robin nodded, and the four of them (plus the two kids) arrived at the med bay. After hooking both of them up, tying up the criminal, and setting up everything, Raven and Starfire stood on the sides of the Dark child. Robin collected a sedative, and put it into Nightmare's system at Raven's request. "If we're going to find Soskrein, we'll need to make sure this kid doesn't wake up too soon", she explained.

Kreinyol remained silent through most of the preparations. Eventually, Solor placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him. "Are you okay, my love?" he asked, looking into Kreinyol's eyes.

Her response was for her eyes to glow with righteous fury. "If this clorbag hurts my bumgorf, may X'hal have mercy on his soul, for I shall not be so willing to forgive."

Solor smirked, and pulled her into a hug. "With you as her mother, I'm sure she'll be fine." He sat her down next to Raven. "Be careful, both of you. And if possible, at least try to identify him before you bring Soskrein out. I'd rather know the name of the one I am interrogating."

Raven nodded. She then took Kreinyol's hand, and with a simple chant, both of them began their trek into the mind of a very Dark Dragon. Unlike the trip into Solor's mind nearly a year ago, this time, it could be a nasty fight.

"Someone call Nightwing," Solor requested, "Might as well tell them the truth about Edward's disappearance. Also, I will need to talk to my father as well. The Circle knows the most about these random Tears of Oblivion. I know that he still has a communicator. But, if my baby girl is harmed...no one shall diverge my wrath and may the First have the mercy I will not show this Traitor."

With three Titans swearing to avenge this wrong, the others shuddered. Two had the ability and motive to kill this dragon and one could send his soul to wherever Trigon was banished to. And that doesn't include whenever Edward returned. He would want his turn as well.


	3. Soskrein's Journey, Edward's Destination

**Chapter 2****  
****[Nightmare's mindscape]**

"Where are we?" Starfire asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Raven replied.

It looked a little like the cave that was the entry way into Solor's mind, but, as they walked, they realized that it was very similar to how Solor and Edward had described the entry to the Dark Lair. They kept an ear out for Soskrein, who probably was frightened out of her mind. And, that was IF they were lucky. The Dark Dragon would probably have found the invader and captured her, but, no one knew what was in store.

They left the entry way and saw that it was almost pitch black, that was until Starfire powered up a starbolt to see by.

"That's better," Raven said, "Let's hope that these are memories and not something that can actually see us. But, we have to be careful regardless."

"Why should I care if this clorbag's memories are destroyed?" Starfire asked.

"Same reason why we couldn't harm Solor's memories," Raven replied, "Solor wants to question this guy and if his memories are shredded, we lose vital information."

Starfire sighed, "Fine. We'll leave things intact, but, if my baby's harmed, all the wagering is off!"

"Oh, we'll find Soskrein," Raven said to Starfire, "It might take a while, though, unless we get some help, which is not likely. "

They walked on until they came to a large open area that was also quite dark and foreboding.

They could hear the sounds of other dragons, but, couldn't see any in the pitch darkness. The light from the starbolt didn't reach up to the top of the Dark Lair, so, the two explorers needed to be careful.

What they heard was Vilea saying to a relatively young Dragon, "You are a very lucky young dragon. You have shown a skill that not many Dark Dragons have and that is how to possess someone. Grand Darkness himself wants me to train you further."

"It is the Nightmare!" Starfire exclaimed. Raven looked confused and Starfire explained, "When you were the possessed last year, he was the one that captured your essence."

"Oh," she said, "I really don't remember much of that. I wonder if he's the one who snagged Malchior's book." The Titans has searched for that White Book, but, were not successful in locating it. They also couldn't find Slade, either and they knew it was a matter of time before Slade would return with a plan that would heve made all his other ones look like child's play.

Starfire shrugged her shoulders as they watched Nightmare's training sessions. It was obvious that he did have a unique ability. He proved to be as good as Jericho after a while.

The scene changed to a much later time and Nightmare was summoned to Vilea's presence.

"Nightmare," she said, "As you know, Lair has declared open war on us to try to prevent Trigon's summoning. Because I am guarding that Light mosquitos eggs, there is a special mission that you need to do. Take control of the Teen Titan known as Raven and capture not only her, but, her counterpart from that damned hybrid's universe if at all possible. Also, see if Malchior is there as well. Rumor has it he's trapped in an old white book of all places. Take the book as well. but, we only need Raven's soul-self as insurance to summon Trigon."

Nightmare nodded, "It shall be done." He departed from her presence and went to where he used to train. He sat down and allowed his mind to search out Raven. Luckily, she was on the roof of the Titan Tower with her counterpart and Edward.

_This is rich!_ he thought _I can take both of these and get rid of the hybrid as well. I'll send him to another universe and Grand Darkness will be most pleased!_

He started the possession process and even though Raven fought back, she was no match for what was to be.

What he didn't expect though was that Edward was right. He did not have a dragon's strength while possessing Raven and while he could access her magic to defend himself against Edward's attacks, it HURT. He didn't expect that physical pain could get through Raven's soul-self. But, when the other Titans appeared despite his capturing Rachael, it was obvious that he would only get the one objective. So, he expelled a surprised Raven from her body and even thought she struggled, he cast a Tear back to the Dark Lair, there her soul-self was trapped in a container.

His next mission was to get someone out of prison, and that was Slade. For that, it was much easier. He possessed the head guard of the prison and was able to release the mastermind that way. He had already been freed from the encasement Terra put him in. Slade knew better than to ask what was going on until well outside the walls of the prison.

Then, he was made an offer: Work with the Dark Dragons to distract the Teen Titans, or he would be the first soul Trigon fed upon. Slade knew that working with the Darkness was his ticket to revenge and readily agreed. Vilea told him that the mission was simple. He would go with Nightmare to possess the other Raven and use her to get Edward out of the way. But, they had to hurry. Rachael would implant part of her own soul-self to keep the shell of Raven alive regardless of what she was told. And it was important that Rachael be kept in one piece. So, Slade went along with the plan and it went perfectly. Rachael didn't even know that Robin had been knocked out and replaced until it was too late. Nightmare was able to possess Rachael as she was sending out a distress call and Slade piggy-backed into Rachael's body.

"Do not attempt to fight the hybrid," he was told, "Just lure him into her mind and leave him there. By the time he escapes, it will be too late. Trigon will be summoned by then. When it's time to leave, your physical body will appear. Feel free to take the other Titans on. It's the hybrid who is the dangerous one. Should he manage to defeat you, you're on your own."

"So, that's how they got passed the Earth dragons," Raven muttered, "Well-played."

"You compliment the enemy?" Starfire asked.

"They knew where and how to strike," Raven said as the scene continued to play out.

After Slade was implanted into Rachael, drawing Edward away from Lair, and after Solor and Edward's mission to the Dark Lair, the scene changed to Lair itself. Nightmare, being a solder as well, was tasked to the takeover of Lair. He saw the Circle destroying the lead generals without breaking a sweat and when Oblaan froze most of the Circle, Nightmare was stunned to see Edward already there and teleporting Sol away at the last second.

The other Dark Dragons in Lair were allowed to overrun the place, but, when they realized that their leaders were dead, they beat another hasty retreat.

It was six hours later when the skies cleared, they knew that Trigon was defeated. Vilea was no where to be found for several more hours, but, as time went by and Oblaan had not returned, some of the younger dragons were wondering if the unthinkable had happened.

A day later, Vilea returned and after gathering all the remaining solders said, "Trigon has been banished and, I regret to tell you all: Oblaan, the first Grand Darkness is dead. We have lost the war and as Heiress to the Darkness and acting Grand Darkness, I have offered our unconditional surrender to the Circle. It's over. There's to be no more attempts to attack Lair or the mortal world, under any circumstances."

There was an immediate uproar from the dragons wanting to know how their two strongest players had fallen. Vilea couldn't answer those questions as she was still in custody at the time. The only reason she was allowed to announce the end of the hostilities was because she had sworn that she would return. There was no other heir as one whelp was dead by Edward's talons, one was no more, used to summon Trigon and Soskrein was already with Solor. So, the Circle allowed her to keep her title, but, was warned that if there was any attempt at deception, she would not live long enough to regret the decision.

The scene changed again to a more recent time. Nightmare fumed that all of his hard work had been for nothing and he wasn't about to just sit there and let their defeat go unanswered. He knew who the mastermind of their defeat was and it was Edward Barnes, that Oblivion Damned Dragon. The defeat was a bitter pill that stuck in Nightmare's throat. There was no chance that he would willingly become part of Lair and figured that he needed to avenge Trigon and Oblaan.

Nightmare plotted for months how to teach Barnes a lesson about messing with the Darkness. But, there was another reason: His brother was sent to Edward's universe and never returned from there, meaning that it was likely that he was captured or even killed. Nightmare vowed to avenge them all.

Starfire and Raven were shocked at how easy he possessed Beast Boy several weeks ago and when Soskrein wanted to play, they heard, _I should snap this abomination's neck right here, right now. It would be a perfect frame up on this green freak, but, this dragon's not my primary target. I will allow her to live, not suspecting a thing._

"That CLORBAG!" Starfire raged, "He wanted to hurt my bumgorf!" Raven seethed as well, but, said nothing.

It was a good thing as the scene dissolved and they were forced to dive out of the way as a plume of flame was shot at them! Nightmare had realized that his mind was invaded despite the fact that he couldn't wake up.

"So," he sneered, "You've seen too much, you know too much. Time to die the deaths you deserved a year ago, starting with this brat!"

He had Soskrein by the hair and pulled her towards him. She whimpered in pain at the treatment. He wrapped his tail around her neck and simply said, "Do not move or I shall snap her neck. She dies in here, her body also dies. Lower your weapons, alien...NOW!"

Starfire growled, but she lowered her hands. With her bumgorf in the dragon's claws, she couldn't attempt to get close enough to save her or cause Nightmare any harm. Raven, meanwhile, was looking angrily at the Dark Dragon. "So, looks like someone here is a sore loser."

"More like I hate cheaters", Nightmare said. "There is no way that Solor of the Light could have killed the Grand Darkness. He is too small, too weak. It had to be that blasted hybrid."

"Husband Solor did kill your leader!" Starfire countered. "Edward spent all of his energy helping defeat Trigon! He was too drained to do anything about Oblaan!"

"Shut your mouth!" Nightmare snarled. "Don't sully our glorious leader's name with your mortal tongue!" He looked down at Soskrein, and grinned maliciously. "So, Vilea gave birth to this child, did she? And what a pretty name... Soskrein. A perfect fit for a dragon that is half darkness!"

Soskrein growled, glaring up at the older dragon. "Let me go! Mommy and Daddy are gonna kill you!"

"Isn't that precious?" Nightmare cooed, tightening his grip. "She thinks Solor and Vilea are gonna stop me!"

At that, Soskrein became confused. "What are you talking about...? Auntie Vilea is not my mom!"

At that, Nightmare began to laugh, while Starfire became very distressed. They hadn't told her that Vilea was her real mom. They were going to, but the Heir of Darkness had chosen to introduce herself as her aunt. Her reasoning was that Vilea didn't want her child to know that she was the result of some very bad decisions, or of an insane mind. She felt Soskrein's life would be better if she didn't go through it thinking she was a mistake.

"Isn't that precious? You haven't told her the truth!" He sneered as he started to pull Soskrein up. "Well, little Twilight Dragon... that alien isn't your mother. Your mother gave you up to live in the world of mortals!"

Soskrein snarled. "I know that, you gecko! Mommy and Daddy told me that I'm a hybrid of Light and Dark! That if I lived in Lair with Grandpa, I would be lonely!"

"But did you know that you're the result of your precious daddy being tricked?"

"SILENCE!" Starfire roared. "Bumgorf, do not listen to him!"

Soskrein glared at Nightmare one more time. "You're annoying." With that, she swiped up with her hand, revealing that she had morphed it into a dragon's claw, and cut her hair from the dragon's grasp. That gave Starfire enough time to pelt him with a few powerful starbolts, distracting him and forcing his tail away from Soskrein's neck

Raven said "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Her powers shot out and encased Nightmare and as her sense of outrage grew, it added to her powers and she went to her full "demon mode" as she slammed Nightmare into the walls, the roof, and the floor in a black streak. She didn't stop until she was certain that Nightmare was in no shape to give chase. After several "round trips", her rage was spent and she released him. He was quite unconscious.

"We're leaving," she stated as she reverted back to normal. It wasn't like they had a choice as they found themselves at the beginning.

"Baby girl," Raven said, "You need to head that way, towards your body. And, then, you, Daddy and I will have to have a chat."

Soskrein looked at her aunt with tears in her eyes, "OK." She left and headed the way Raven pointed. Starfire said, "Don't be too harsh on her."

"I'm not angry at her, Star," Raven said, "Solor said that if she developed these powers, I could help train her, that's all. We gotta go!"

They, too, left the body of a child form Nightmare and woke up a few moments later, just as Soskrein also opened her eyes and saw Solor there.

"DADDY!" she screamed and leapt into his arms and started bawling her eyes out!

Solor merely held his little girl and let her cry. He would have to gently scold her later on, but, he knew it was not the right time for that, not when Edward was still MIA.

"It's OK, sweetie," he said softly, "Daddy forgives you."

"You two OK?" Robin asked.

"We're fine," Raven said, "Nightmare, however, is going to out for a long time. He tried to hurt Soskrein in there. He met my not-so-nice side." The other Titans paled hearing that, remembering what happened to Dr. Light.

"The same dragon that possessed you last year?" Cyborg asked. Raven nodded, "He was looking for revenge. His efforts a year ago failed and he blames Edward for everything, even Oblaan's death."

"But," Solor said, "I killed him. There was no other choice."

"Doesn't matter to Nightmare," Raven said, "Also, it's time that Soskrein knows the whole story."

"When this is all over, we'll tell her," Solor said quietly. He realized that Soskrein had cried herself to sleep and put her in one of the other beds.

"Let's find Edward, shall we?" Solor said.

The team headed back to Rachael, who was waiting. When she saw the entire team returned, she figured that the mission was a success. As Solor sat next to Rachael, she began to speak up. "Alright... so, Raven, how exactly did you find Solor when he was trapped in our universe?"

"Well... I noticed that when the tears were open, there was an echo of myself and Solor. Well, an echo of everyone, really. But I think the most prominent ones were of Solor and myself, also, at the time, I couldn't place it, there was the presence of someone a lot more powerful. I believe it was Edward, now."

"Then that's how we'll find Edward", Rachael said. "We'll have to search for an echo of Edward, or Solor. We may have to open Tears, and search to see if there's a similar echo to us or the dragons."

"I can contact my father", Solor mused. "He knows more about the tears than anyone else... perhaps Vilea will be able to help as well. Last I heard, she was more than willing to help the Circle and as our status is the same, she may want to repay a debt to Edward. He had many reasons to kill her, yet, he was one of the first to forgive her."

"Let's hope so", Robin said. "Raven and Solor, you both are exempt from missions until you can find Edward. I would say the same about Rachael, but given how close she is to giving birth, that point's kinda moot, considering Nightwing also told us that she's stood down.. The rest of the team will handle any trouble that happens."

"Are you sure?" Solor said. "I could be very helpful for missions. And last time you guys lost a team member, you didn't exactly handle everything that well."

"We're sure, Solor," Robin said, "If something does come up, though, where either of you two are needed, we'll call for backup. And, Nightwing's team is also ready just in case. They've already been through a lot of what might happen here, so, that's an advantage. According to Edward, our future changed when Solor arrived anyway."

"Last time, we thought we lost you forever", Cyborg said. "This time, we know we can find Edward, even if it will take time."

"I hope he is the alright", Starfire said, sniffling a bit. "I can only hope he is not being mistreated." Solor pulled his wife into an embrace.

"If I know anything about Edward", Rachael said, smirking, "I'd be more worried about how angry he'll be when he lands."

**[Meanwhile, with Edward]**

Edward had taken a moment to get used to the vacuum of nothingness. This wasn't at all like teleporting with Rachael or with the Tears he was used to. This kind of darkness was almost suffocating, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before he was spat out.

As soon as he thought that, though, he was launched forward into the air, revealing a dark night sky with a large moon in the sky.

Reacting quickly, Edward managed to morph into his mini dragon form, quickly catching himself in the air. After a moment of gathering his surroundings, he discovered he was near a very familiar mountain. "Terra's tomb... better check it out", Edward mused to himself. "If they sent me to my universe, it'll just be a matter of getting to my tower and contacting the others."

Upon further inspection, though, Edward discovered this was nothing like his universe. There wasn't even any evidence of Slade ever using this spot as a base. Edward growled, and punched the wall. "Son of a bitch. So it's obviously not my universe... I don't know where I am then. Whoever did this will rue his decision if I let him live!" He looked out and realized from here, he could see Titan's Tower. "Well... almost. I know I'm near Jump City, and I can get to the tower... Maybe this universe's Raven can help me. Even if it means that I'm stuck trying to earn their trust all over again."

With that, Edward thought back to Solor's first visit. Edward pulled his communicator and said, "What the hell...it opened the door for Solor after he calmed down. I doubt the people here have seen dragons before, so I need to hide in plain sight." He morphed back to human and realized that there was indeed another Raven as his mind link was partially active. He considered turning it off totally, but, opted for a more passive link and left it in a state where, if he needed it, it was there.

[Author's note: Please read "Return of the Dragon", King of Emerald's story or this section will not make much sense. Historically, this is just after "Betrothed" in Season 3. Edward comes from a much later standpoint.]

He headed into the city proper and looked for a newspaper. He found one in a box that said "Teen Titans Return from Tamaran."

"Oh, boy," Edward groaned, "It's at least four years BEFORE I joined the team."

What Edward didn't know is that Raven had picked up on Edward's presence before the feeling faded away. She dismissed it for the time being.

She was more concerned with Starfire who had been seen with a really confused look on her face.

"What's wrong, Starfire?" she asked.

"Nothing, I hope," Starfire said, "Friend Solor just told me to get out after he wanted to know about the tickling."

"I take it that was the laughing I heard a little while ago?" Raven wondered before leaving.

By then, Johnny Rancid had come back into town and caught Edward's eye. The minor villain, Edward considered taking down himself, but, realized it was a matter of time before the Teen Titans would arrive to take him down. It was perfect timing! Edward ducked into an alley and morphed to an alley cat to trail Johnny. Sure enough, it wasn't much time before Johnny picked his target and drove his bike through the plate glass window.

As Johnny ransacked the electronics store, the Teen Titans were alerted to the problem and raced into town.

Edward remembered that Johnny was a pro at riding his cycle and decided to try to force Johnny to abandon his ride.

Edward morphed again, this time to something smaller: A Giant Japanese Hornet and swooped at Johnny who yelled, "What the Hell is that?!" Edward turned around and dive bombed Johnny again, the 1/4" stinger loaded for bear. This time, Johnny was hit and the resulting scream was music to Edward's ears. Edward decided one more attack would get Johnny running for his life. Edward attacked, stinging Johnny right where he sat, getting another yell of pain from poor Johnny, who realized that he couldn't drive his bike. His right cheek was swelling like Kim Kardishan's buttocks!

The Teen Titans arrived and Johnny was writhing on the ground, whimpering about some huge hornet attacking him.

Edward had left the building and after morphing back to human, walked up to the Teen Titans and said, "Excuse me, I need to talk to you folks."

Robin said, "I'm sorry, citizen, but, we're a little tied up. Someone here needs a trip to jail."

"It doesn't take all of you," Edward said, "Starfire can carry Johnny here to the police station, can't she? And the way this guy is writhing does not lead me to believe he will resist arrest."

Robin nodded, "Go ahead, Starfire." She picked up Johnny, who yelled loudly in pain..."YEEEOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW, MY ASS!"

Starfire left with Johnny and Robin turned to Edward and said, "OK, I've done as you asked, now, state your business."

Edward said, "My name is Edward Barnes, Robin. What I am about to tell you will be difficult to believe. In fact, I am having a hard time believing what happened as well. I am in need of your help. You see, I am not native to this universe. I am from a different universe where I am part of the Titans."

"Really?" Robin said, not trusting the stranger. Edward pulled out his communicator and said, "I know you do not hand these out to just anybody. I had to gain the trust of the Teen Titans, Robin. It's a long story, but, I tell you the truth."

Raven looked at Edward and after a moment she heard in her head, [Raven, do not be afraid. I would not be asking for your help unless it was necessary. You can tell if I am lying or not and if I am lying, call me out on it and be done with me. If you sense I am honest, please say so.]

Raven looked around and realized that Edward was talking only into her mind.

[How are you inside my head? Get out!]

[Raven, in my universe...you and I are married,] Edward said and a single tear fell, [My Raven is pregnant...and about to deliver a baby girl in a few weeks...Please, don't make me beg.]

"Guys," Raven said after a moment, "He's telling the truth."

Solor looked at Edward strangely, as if he felt he should know Edward, but, shook his head, "If you are from another universe, how did you get here?"

"The same way you were banished: A Tear of Oblivion."

Solor's jaw dropped, "I never told anyone that! How did you know?!" Solor went to his hybrid form and snarled, "I am waiting or do I have to beat the answer out of you?"

"Solor," Edward said, "In my world, you and I are best friends and have been for a few years now. You were dropped into my universe by a Tear of Oblivion. We took you in after you calmed down. Please, I'm not one who asks for help easily, but, you Titans are all I can lean on right now."

Solor looked as if he had been punched in the gut. _Is it possible that whoever used Raven to send me through a Tear did more than ship me to the Master of Games?_ he thought. Normally, he would consult with his father, but, that was not possible since his banishment. He was fortunate the last time warning them of a possible future event. He risked being executed for even getting close to Lair without permission from the Circle.

After a moment, he straightened up, and shifted back to normal. "I believe we can allow this. Robin, we must let him stay."

"You're sure about this?" Robin said. "It could be a trap."

"I can handle anything", Solor said confidently. "Besides... if the truth is that he came through a Tear, he will need a place to stay. He was not lying about that; a Tear of Oblivion has the potential to throw anyone or anything into another universe. Hopefully, wherever he is from has someone who can find him. Perhaps another user of magic, like Raven."

Robin considered it, and soon nodded. "Okay. Edward, you're welcome to stay with us."

"Thank you", Edward said, sounding relieved.

Solor approached Edward. "As I do not know your powers, I will accompany you to the Tower."

"No need. I can get myself there", Edward replied. However, he winced when Solor placed a hand on his shoulder and tightened his grip.

"I insist", Solor growled. He turned to the rest of the team. "I will be on the roof. I believe there are things Mr. Barnes and I need to discuss."

Robin frowned at that. "Solor, are you sure that you should be doing this?"

"If what he says is true, then he knows something about my home. My people invented the spell that sent him to our world. It is only fitting that I speak with him in private. There are things I still cannot tell you guys." He turned back to Edward. "So, if you would be so kind and not struggle, I will take you to the tower, where we can talk." Without waiting for a response, Solor grabbed onto Edward and took off in a hurry. Needless to say, Edward wasn't happy with that, but needed to be careful with his responses. If Solor saw him as a threat, he could attack him, or drop him from this height, and then his secret as a dragon would be exposed.

They arrived at the Tower well ahead of the others and Solor locked the door.

"So, Edward," Solor said, "You obviously know something of my people, and about my home. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"Solor, there's no need for threats," Edward said, "You are a Light Dragon from a place known as Lair. Your father is the Grand Light of the Circle along with the other clan heads: Earth, Fire, Water, Life, and Death. There is also Darkness, who was banished along with the other Dark Dragons many centuries ago. You were banished for attacking Grand Death in lieu of a death sentence. You are very sensitive regarding your ancestors and especially your mother, May she rest in peace. You're also quite skilled at getting information out of others."

"How do you know my mother's dead?!" Solor snarled.

"Solor, I have nothing but respect for her," Edward said, "Also, there is something that I need to tell you on trust that you will not reveal it to the other Titans. I am also a Child of the First, from Lair. My mother is a Light Dragon, and, I know this will be difficult for you, but, my father...or should I say fathers...were from the different clans. I'm a hybrid of all of them."

Solor looked stunned for a moment, "There's a legend of a hybrid, just one. But, he'd be close to 3,000 years old and unless very lucky, would be very weak and probably close to death."

"Not if that hybrid is as immortal as the members of the Circle and has the powers of all," Edward mused, "Also, you have a deep dislike for humans in general because of their treatment hundreds of years ago of other brothers who were slain.

"The Circle, after Darkness attempted a raid to capture me, opened a Tear of Oblivion and sent me through it to a universe outside the reach of Darkness. I do not remember that, though as I was a whelpling. Grand Life said that I still have a spark in my eyes."

"How do I know you're not telling me a bunch of bull?" Solor challenged. But, he knew the stranger was not lying. Everything that Edward said about him was spot on. It was as if Edward had spent a lot of time in Lair and that got Solor to relax a tad.

"You may ask Raven," Edward said, "Let's just say that she'd know if I were lying or not."

Solor frowned. A lot of what Edward said was true, and if the legend was true, then Edward was the single hybrid of all of the clans. But he didn't know how to tell if one was lying. He decided to try something and spoke in the dragon's tongue. _"If you are truly one of my kind, you would know my language. Can you speak in this tongue?"_

_"I can", _Edward replied. _"Although I did not learn the language until a few years ago, when I was taught by your counterpart."_

Solor actually smiled. "That was your first and final test. I believe you. Only a comrade would come to us for help. Even if one of them is banished indefinitely. You have my word that I shall keep your identity as a dragon a secret... as the Titans do not know that I am one. Just know that if you do anything to bring harm to my friends..."

"I wouldn't dream of it", Edward said, smiling. "Solor, the Titans of my home are my family and there you and I are brothers who would lay down our lives for the other. I would never intentionally hurt them, just as I know you would never intentionally hurt your friends. I shall keep your secret as well.

"Thank you, for everything."

"As long as we understand each other, it is okay", Solor said. He walked to the door to the roof, unlocking it. "I will find a spare room for you. And if you are going to be staying here, you might want to incorporate some powers into your human form. Unless you'd prefer to try a hybrid form."

"That may be something worth considering, but I think I'll try being a shapeshifter for now", Edward decided. "If it doesn't work out, I can assume a smaller form of a dragon, and perhaps convince the team of the existence of dragons. Regardless, I have a few hybrid forms to use. Some your counterpart taught me to be able to access my breath weapons.

"One thing that I do have regardless of form is something that dragon respect and that's strength. I can use that as needed on missions."

"Absolutely not", Solor immediately shot down. "Mortals do not know of the existence of dragons. We stopped allowing ourselves to be seen in our true forms hundreds of years ago. If they learn that dragons are real, they may decide to either eradicate us or attempt to study us. It is for the safety of the world that another battle between mortals and dragons is avoided. I hope that you respect that.

"But, the strength part, I would have to see for myself."

Edward wanted to object, but he knew this Solor would not back down, if he was anything like his counterpart that Edward was friends with. "That's fine", he submitted. "I'll try my best to help without going full dragon. I know of the dangers involved here. In my universe, I also hid my true nature. But, now, people are used to my true nature."

"Thank you", Solor said, as he opened the door. "Remember... this does not go anywhere but between you and I." He led Edward down into the ops center, where everyone, save Starfire was hanging out. Speaking of the Tamaranian, she entered the room just as Solor did, and the two made eye contact for a brief moment. Solor could feel his cheeks heat up, and he quickly broke eye contact, as did Starfire, and quickly led his new roommate into the halls. Of course, the interaction was not ignored, and Robin silently fumed as he noticed how pink Starfire's cheeks were. Cyborg only chuckled, Raven had the faintest smirk on her face, and Beast Boy and Terra only smiled knowingly.

Beast Boy and Terra noticed the stranger, so, Solor introduced them to Edward. He mentioned that Edward's a shapeshifter and that, of course, got Beast Boy's full attention.

"What kind of animals can you do, dude?" he asked.

"Pretty much anything," Edward said.

"Awesome!" Beast Boy said, "Can you do like dinosaurs?"

Edward nodded, "I can, depending on what is needed."

"Or insects?" was the next question. Edward smirked and merely said, "Watch." He went back to a Giant Japanese Hornet and buzzed around Beast Boy, who ducked out of the way.

He morphed back and Robin look at Edward strangely, "Johnny Rancid kept whining about a big hornet attacking him...It wasn't a line, what is? It was you?"

"I'm afraid so, Robin," Edward said, "I knew that once he got onto his bike, he would be able to outrace the team, so I did the least lethal, albeit painful way to prevent him from leaving. He'll be fine in a day or so. Also, that allowed me to get your attention."

"Well," Robin said, "That actually did us a favor in the long run. Johnny, according to Starfire, was glad to be dropped off at jail. He wanted no more of the supersized hornets."

Edward had also noticed the brief interaction with Solor and Starfire and thought to himself, _Those two are on the verge of hooking up, but, I can do nothing to speed things up. Solor is still on the Circle's crap list and because in this universe, he never disappeared, Sol had no reason to look for him and then teach Raven how to cast the Tear of Oblivion. So, there's no alliance possible, which means that if Solor and Starfire do start dating, he will be banished for life should the Circle find out. And I must assume that there are disguised dragons as well. That will make it interesting because if they suspect the truth about me, the Circle will want to know how this happened._

_OK, it's obvious that there was a split right at the point of the first Tear of Oblivion. One Solor ended up back here and the other was dumped into my universe. Man, I got lucky having been taught the native language!_

_What also rankles me is that if history unfolds here like it did back home, Trigon may arrive here as well making this universe #3 that he'll invade. But, will he make his attempt at the right point in their history, a little under two years from now or will Oblaan summon him early like in the alternate universe? Either way, I probably will not be around to help in the fight. Should I warn them and create a predestination paradox as a result? I've already repaid my life debt to the Circle, but was that the Circle from this universe or that crossover one._

_But, I knew I should have taken Mom's advice and learned how to cast a Tear of Oblivion...I wouldn't be f'n stuck here!_

He sighed as Solor led him to the guest quarters and showed him inside.

He said, "Thank you, Solor, but, I need some alone time. I need to think about a lot of things. I need to think if I should tell you about a possible future for one. And, I am missing my goddaughter/niece."

"You have a niece?" Solor asked.

"Yeah,"Edward said, "In the other universe, there's a second hybrid dragon who just turned a year old. She's a balance of Light and Dark dragons. Bronze colored with a black underbelly."

"Who are her parents?" Solor asked.

"You sure you want to know?" Edward challenged, "The answer would shock you."

"Yes," Solor said, "Again, I insist."

Edward rolled his eyes, "Fine. Your counterpart and Vilea, Heiress to the Darkness."

"WHAT?!" Solor practically roared, "I would never mate with the Darkness."

Edward knew he had to keep Starfire out of it, so, he edited the story a little bit, "In that other universe, you were taken prisoner and held for over a week before you managed to use your Blessing to escape. During that time, Vilea tricked you into mating with her by assuming the form of someone your counterpart loves so much that he was willing to let the Circle execute him as a 'Traitor's Sending'. Then, after you saw through the trick ... she raped you several times a day, drugged you. After she broke you on every level, she slipped and called you a Light mosquito ..."

"And told me that she was the one who possessed Raven," Solor realized, "Raven couldn't have opened a Tear without help. Now, I know who tried that. Tell me, what is my whelp like in your universe?"

"Wait, you're not mad about this?" Edward asked.

"Oh, I'm angry all right," Solor said eyes indicating that he was indeed angry, "And, should Vilea ever try that here, Heiress or not, I will kill her."

Edward replied to get the discussion back on track, "Well, you named the whelp Soskrein in the native language and in that universe, she was hatched near the end of the War between Light and Darkness. Forgive me for omitting some details, though, there are some aspects of how the war ended that I feel necessary to withhold. What I can tell you, though, is that I was there when she hatched and I saw the reason she is called Blood Sun in English. You are raising her as a single dad, but, the two teams love her as if she were their own. Also, Vilea also was flipped and is helping the Circle, so, she willingly walked away from being a mother. She insisted that Soskrein not know how she was hatched, but, is part of the little one's life.

"She's a very bright child by any human standards and from what I understand, even Dragon standards. She adores everyone on the team, especially me."

Solor sat there, absorbing the news.

"How did Vilea get flipped to our side?" Solor asked.

Edward averted his gaze, which surprised Solor and said, "I did something that in war I had not done before. I killed an innocent whelp fresh out of the shell. Solor, Vilea didn't just lay one egg, she laid a couple. The first one would have been used to summon an ancient evil to that second universe. The Solor of that universe originally wanted them all dead and one died at my talons, the second of the three was used successfully to summon that ancient evil, and when Starborn, I'll call your counterpart that to avoid confusion, and I captured Vilea, I was about to destroy the third egg, but, it was too late, Soskrein was moments away from breaking the shell herself. Starborn took one look at the newborn and flat out declared that to kill the baby, they would have to kill him as well and he named her.

"When Starborn took the baby to a safe place, my guilt hit me hard enough to beg the Grand Light not to kill his own grand-daughter. Vilea saw that and she changed sides. She forgave me, as did Starborn. After the hostilities were over, I also forgave Vilea for raping and torturing Starborn. I won't say that we are friends, but, we do talk. She has a lot to atone for over there."

"What powers does she have?" Solor asked. He decided not to berate Edward, sensing that the death of the whelp still haunted the older Dragon.

"Nobody knows yet as she hasn't started displaying them," Edward answered, "Best guess is a mixture of Light and Dark. Raven has offered to teach her should she develop Dark powers, and your counterpart readily agreed."

"The Circle didn't vote to kill her, obviously," Solor said.

"No," Edward said with a small smile, "They discussed her to determine her fate, like they did for you and as three members of the Circle didn't have enough to go on, they bent a tradition and asked me for an opinion. I stated that she deserved the same chance that I got. Then, Vilea was afforded a chance to speak as Heiress and Soskrein's mother. Her speech was what I like to think convinced the Exalted Circle to allow her to live. They also allowed your counterpart to raise her. The Circle placed her under their protection and Starborn agreed to let me also protect her. Then again, there are two teams of Teen Titans who would lay their lives down to protect her as well. She will never have to worry about the dragons of Lair harming her or calling her a half-breed."

Solor nodded, "She sounds like a wonderful baby."

"She is," Edward said, "She'll be a great 'big sister' as well. My Raven is pregnant as well."

"Shouldn't that be impossible?" Solor asked.

"Normally, yes," Edward said, "I know of the Breed Traitor law and, well, the Circle exempted me and Raven from it. Actually, I suppose that there's no harm in telling you this one: Over there, the Circle repealed it and all those who were banished were allowed to return to Lair, if they wanted. I think about 50% of those exiled returned to Lair, even if to visit."

"And the humans there?"

"They are getting used to the idea that Dragons are real," Edward said, "You see, the War spilled over into the mortal world near the end and the existence of Dragons was revealed. Darkness did something there that while I cannot tell you all the details, forced Dragons and Humans to work together. It helped that the Justice League agreed to an alliance moments before the Dark Dragons attacked the Tower. We beat the Darkness back and several days later, we were meeting with the President and Darkness attacked Washington, DC. That won over probably 95% of the population."

"Does your universe know about you?" Solor asked.

"Not only do they know, they are glad that I am a Good Guy," Edward replied.

Solor stood up and said, "I'm putting my neck out for you. So, don't make me look like an ass." He left without another word.

Edward looked out the window towards the bay and the city itself. He couldn't stop the tears from flowing as he realized that everything he knew and loved was gone. He knew that he'd be found someday and hoped that he wouldn't be stuck in a world that wouldn't understand about Dragons for too long. He wanted to be there for the birth of his baby girl and if he was stuck for more than a week or two, the odds of him being there were slim and none. He berated himself for leaving the only link back to the shared universe there.

"Where are you, Rachael?" he said as the tears flowed. His distress was reaching the native Raven, who decided to "fill in" for Rachael, and hoped that Edward would not get too upset.

As she approached the room, Solor intercepted her and said, "Don't. I know that you are sensing our guest's emotions, but, you will remind him of his wife too much and it will make things worse. Give him the space he needs, Raven, for a while."

"You sure?" Raven asked.

"Positive," Solor said, "Edward needs to adjust. From what he told me and what I can share, is he is very similar to me and my people. He also hinted that he's from his universe's future and that, from what I can figure out, that Tear that was cast by you created another version of me that Edward befriended. My counterpart is a father as well."

"Ehhhh...Congrats?" Raven asked, throughly confused.

"There's two Solors, Raven," he said, "That little Tear of Oblivion that was cast when you were possessed did two things: Bounced me into that Master of Games realm where the rest of the team ended up and created an identical copy that ended up in Edward's universe and in the middle, there's a THIRD universe that seems to be my counterpart's native universe."

"And here Beast Boy complains about even simple math hurting his brain," Raven muttered, "It's hard for even me to grasp."

"I think Edward should sit out the first couple of missions," Solor said, "He needs a little time to get used to things here." He looked back at Edward's room, and steeled his gaze. "He is going to be a father. He must be returned before his child is born."

"You seem awfully interested in getting him home", Raven said. "Any specific reason?"

Solor sighed, and looked back at Raven. "Let's just say that I know what it's like to be torn away from everything you love. Come. Let us leave him be so he can think things through."

With that, the two native Titans began heading back, with Solor leading the way. Raven knew there was more to this story though... and even if it was the last thing she'd do as a Titan, she was going to get to the bottom of it.


	4. Daddy-daughter time And a lead

**Chapter 4**  
**[Crossover Universe - Titan Tower Ops Center]**

The Teen Titans and Titans were gathered in the Ops Center, Robin had contacted their counterparts and Nightwing insisted on dropping everything to help in the search. Also, Solor had contacted Sol and he had also arrived on the scene, as well as Vilea and she was livid that Nightmare had disobeyed her orders to cease all hostilities. It put her in a very bad position with the reconciliation efforts with Lair. So, she and Solor agreed to work together to get Nightmare to some sort of justice. As it was a matters regarding dragons, the humans decided to let Dragon laws have priority.

But, the immediate problem was with Soskrein. She had awakened very confused about what had happened and while the others were working on a recovery plan for Edward, it was up to Solor to calm his daughter, assure her that he wasn't mad, and help her to understand her powers.

So, he excused himself and took Soskrein to their quarters...even asked Kreinyol to remain outside for a while. It was a daddy-daughter talk that Solor had hoped wouldn't come for a long time. But, he was ready regardless.

"So, Soskrein..." he said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions... and I'll do my best to answer them. But... you may not like the answers. I will be truthful with you, and I will comfort you if they hurt."

Soskrein nodded. "Okay... how did I get into that boy... dragon's head?" she asked first.

"It's because of your powers", he responded. He sat next to Soskrein on the bed, pulling her into his lap. "You're developing much faster than other dragons, and I think that is because you are a unique hybrid. When you saw Uncle Edward get taken away, that pain and anger woke your dark powers. Aunt Raven has already said she will help you train so you can control them."

"What kind of hybrid am I?" she asked, curious.

"You're a Twilight dragon", Solor answered. "You are half light, and half dark. A perfect balance, shown by your bronze scales and black underbelly. When you grow older, you should develop Light and Dark powers equally."

Soskrein was silent for a moment. Eventually, she looked up at Solor, tears in her eyes. "Did... did what that dragon say mean anything? Is... Aunt Vilea my... mom?"

Solor didn't know what to say. He didn't want to make her cry, but he knew he promised to answer truthfully, not matter how much it hurt. That was when Vilea saved him, opening the door. She was in a human form, completely unique from the time she had impersonated Starfire. Her hair was black this time, and very curly. Her red eyes held a sadness, and she kept a very modest outfit this time around, consisting of a long sweater and blue jeans.

"Yes, I am", she answered. She walked over to the bed, sitting down so that Soskrein could look her in the eye easier. "When your father and I met... I did terrible things to him. Things that I hope you will never live through in your long life. I made mistakes. And the result were three baby dragons... two of which are long gone and dead. The last one, however..."

"… is me", Soskrein said, looking at her hands. "So... am I a mistake? The result of a bad decision?"

Solor growled, and held her tight. "No, baby girl. You are not a mistake."

"What I did was bad", Vilea said, "but if I had to live through it again... even if your father would never forgive me, if it meant giving you life, I would." Vilea turned Soskrein's face, smiling at her. "Soskrein of the Twilight... you have a wonderful life, and a great family to live with."

"But... why did you give me up?" Susie asked, sniffling. "Didn't you love me?"

"Of course I did, and I still do." Vilea took Soskrein from Solor, taking a turn in hugging and comforting the child. "I love you so much. That's why I chose to give you up." She pulled back a bit, looking at Sosrkein in the eye. "If I took you to live with me in Lair... well, you'd be very lonely. I wouldn't be home very much, and a lot of dragons wouldn't want anything to do with you. I can't give you a good childhood, and I certainly can't give you the life you deserve. But your father..." She turned Soskrein so that she was facing her father again. "Solor is a good dragon. He has a home for you to live in, a family to help raise you, and teach you all sorts of things. And you've made so many friends. Now tell me... would you rather be here, where you know you're happy? Or with me, where you're not?"

Soskrein was silent for a good while. Everything that she was told was a lot to take in. Eventually, she began sniffling, and crying. She latched onto her mom, crying in happiness. "Thank you, Mom. Thank you... for giving me a chance."

Solor smiled as well, and soon reached over, pulling both Vilea and Soskrein into a hug as well. Vilea blushed, as she was not used to physical affection of any sort, but soon returned the hug. The three of them stayed like that for a while, and if one looked in on this, they looked like a whole, happy family.

Eventually, Soskrein let go, and everyone broke from the group hug. "So... what happened to my brother and sister?" she asked, assuming she had one of each.

Solor shook his head. "I've told you enough, baby girl. They are with the First, and happy now. When you're older, I'll tell you the rest of that story."

Soskrein frowned, but accepted that. "Is it alright if I go play with Aunt Raven and Mommy? I'm sure they're worried about me."

"You can play with Mommy, but Aunt Raven is helping Aunt Rachael look for Uncle Edward. As soon as we find him, we'll be bringing him home", Solor replied. He put her on the ground, and let her run off. He looked to Vilea, and smiled gratefully. "Thank you for coming, Vilea. I wasn't sure what to say that wouldn't hurt her even more."

"I understand", Vilea said. She then sighed. "Look, Solor... I am sorry for what I have done to you. Truly, I am. But seeing you and Soskrein again... it hurts too much." She got up, walking to the door. "I see how happy she is... and I can't help but feel jealous. She's my daughter as much as she is yours."

Solor chuckled. "Well, you could come visit more often", he said. "Soskrein does love you, even if she didn't know you were her mother. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you more often." He walked past her. "When this is over, you are coming over for dinner. No refusing. I shall not take no for an answer."

Vilea was surprised at the offer, and couldn't help but laugh a bit. "If you say so..." She walked by, smiling. "Thank you again... for keeping my daughter safe." She headed back to the Ops, a bit of a spring in her step.

Solor turned around, spotting Kreinyol near the room. "And thank you for getting Vilea to come around."

"It was time", Kreinyol replied. "If she was not going to tell the truth, I was. I simply gave her one last chance to come clean about it."

"And thank you for giving her a chance", Solor said, walking over and kissing Kreinyol on the lips. "She may have been the enemy... but she is still my daughter's mother. I hope you can forgive her yourself one day."

"She did horrible things to you", Kreinyol said softly.

"And I would gladly go through it again", Solor said, making her look confused. "If it were not for her, I would not know where the Dark Lair was. I would not be blessed with a beautiful daughter. I would not have gathered the strength to defeat Oblaan. If Vilea had not done what she had done... would we be married?" He kissed her again. "Think about it, my love." With that, he too headed to the Ops center, leaving Kreinyol to think about his words.

And, she did think about all that Solor said. And, she realized that Solor was right. It was horrible what he went through initially. From being tossed through the Tear of Oblivion, landing in a strange, yet similar universe, then, her own desires to be with Solor, even though she didn't know it at the time caused another Tear to open. She didn't remember being caught by a racing Edward, but, his and Rachael's gentle nudging got them together initially.

But, it was the war that cemented their relationship. Solor had been raped by the very same dragon who just left for Ops, then, she utterly mauled his soul and spirit, requiring extraordinary measures to help him recover. When Edward brought Soskrein to the Tower after Oblaan's death, that settled any lingering doubts in her heart in an instant. Starfire didn't care that Vilea is Soskrein's birth mother. What mattered is that Solor was willing to fight for his daughter and convinced the Circle that he had changed for the better. He had, for the most part, tamed his anger and over the past year, came to terms with Edward's being more experienced and as a result, the two would likely be friends until Death claimed one of them.

She went off to find Soskrein, who had found Koriand'r and wanted to play for a while. She readily agreed and they headed off for the playroom.

"Are you the OK?" she asked Soskrein.

"I don't know, Aunt Kori," was the reply, "Uncle Edward is...is..." She broke down and was instantly swooped up in a hug by Koriand'r.

She walked over to a chair and sat down, letting Soskrein vent her emotions.

"It's going to be OK," Kori said, "We'll look for brother Edward for as long as it takes. I do know that wherever he is, he's alive."

Soskrein sniffled a bit and tried to calm down.

"I wish I knew where he was, I'd go get him," Soskrein whimpered.

"I know you would, my adopted bumgorf," Kori said, "And I think he'd love that, very much.

Kreinyol walked in and saw that and walked over to them.

Soskrein looked over and saw her k'norfka there and reached out an arm. Kreinyol took the arm and said, "It'll be OK, we'll find Uncle."

"What's going to happen to that dragon?" Soskrein asked.

"That's up to the Circle to decide, honey," Kreinyol replied, "Daddy and Aunt Vilea will be talking to him when he wakes up. I know that they are not the happy."

"Are you mad at me?" Soskrein asked.

"No, my little bumgorf," Kreinyol said, "You actually saved Daddy a lot of time. You had us worried and Nightmare shall face the justice. Daddy told you that Aunt Raven will teach you how to use these powers, right?" Soskrein nodded her head.

"I'm scared," she admitted.

"It was scary being in Nightmare's head," Kreinyol said, "And your powers shouldn't be scary. They are a part of you and you'll have both light and dark powers."

"My powers kicked in when I was scared as well," Tara (Edward's Terra) said as well as she came in, "Sorry for eavesdropping."

"It's all right, friend Terra," Kori said.

"Want to hear a good story about your uncle?" Tara asked.

Soskrein's face lit up, "Yeah!"

So, Tara spent the next 15 minutes relating how she first met Edward after the plane she was in crashed and this stranger helped her dad, brother and herself. Soskrein thought that was really cool.

But, Tara also told her about the time she was recovering from being petrified and that Edward and Aunt Rachael went into her head to help her as well and that they were mind-linked as a result of that rescue.

"Were you scared?" Soskrein asked.

"I was really scared," Tara replied, "I didn't know what the Titans would do with me or if they even wanted anything to do with me. It took a while to really accept that they had forgiven me and wanted me back. It didn't really sink in until Slade tried to capture me again, but, Uncle Edward tricked him. He adopted my form and talked like me. He captured Slade and let me have some revenge."

"What did you do?" Soskrein asked.

"Well, when Uncle held Slade, I hit him with a lot of large rocks." Terra replied. She left out busting Slade's balls, though. It wasn't something that a frightened year old Dragon needed to hear, regardless of how she looked and acted much older.

Back in Ops, though, they were waiting for their undesired guest to wake up. Between the sedation and the internal beat-down that Raven administered, it was taking longer for him to wake up. But, even then, when he woke up, he was stick in his current form. Cyborg took the added precaution of putting the power cancelling collar on Nightmare.

Vilea was fuming, though, and in a big way. She had heard that Nightmare not only sent Edward to a place only the First knew where, but, wanted to do serious harm to Soskrein. That alone merited death in her mind as well as "Grandpa Sol". But, as Darkness was slowly earning back their rightful position in Lair, Vilea had told Sol, "Despite the fact I want this dragon dead for wanting to harm my child, I shall accede to tradition and the laws set by the First Circle that my father rejected and allow the Circle to determine his punishment. But, allow me a small token of vengeance for Soskrein's sake. I promise not to kill him outright, but, he may beg for death's touch."

"Take it easy," Sol said, "We're guests of the Teen Titans and as such, we must humble ourselves and obey their rules. And, Edward deserves as much of a right to see justice done as everyone else here. We'll get him back. I can't imagine the fury you are feeling."

"No, you can't, Grand Light," she said, "He wanted to harm my daughter, the only one I have left from that brood. He disobeyed my express orders not to take any action against other Children of Lair. He dishonored me as both Heiress of the Darkness and the acting Grand Darkness. He set back our efforts to rejoin Lair. And, truth be told, had Kiinnum not shown remorse over killing one of my whelps, I might not have seen the error of my ways. I owe him, Grand Light. He was one of the first to openly tell me, 'I hate what you did to my brother, but, I forgive you for it anyway.' He did not have to do that, but, I know he spoke from the heart. And, he's taken the time from his duties in his world to help me on this path. So, yes, I owe him a great deal."

Everyone in Ops heard that speech and they gained some respect for Vilea, despite her crimes. She wanted to repay a 3,000 year old dragon for a simple act of forgiveness, and that said a lot.

Sol was taken back by the barely restrained fury in her voice, and nodded, "Leave some for Starborn and Edward," was all he said.

"So?" Rachael said, "I would love to FIND MY HUSBAND SOMETIME THIS CENTURY!"

"Anger is pointless," Raven said, the calm voice of reason still, "It will not bring Edward back any sooner and it will affect your child."

"You're not the one with the pain of a shattered link, Raven," Rachael said as she tried to keep it together, "You haven't felt your thoughts, your feelings going down a black hole into an abyss. That's what it feels like to me. I do not know if he is alive or dead. I don't know if Callisto will know her dad and why she's a hybrid. I don't know if I can raise her on my own!" It was the first time that she admitted openly her fears over this situation.

Solor walked over and took the shaking, pregnant empath into a hug and said, "Rachael, I swear upon the Circle and before the First: You will not have to raise Callisto on your own. You will always have me and Kreinyol to help you and Soskrein would be thrilled to be a big sister. I can't speak for the others here, but, you will not raise your baby by yourself.

"I promised to find Edward, and we shall do so."

"It won't be the same," Rachael said, "Not without knowing what happened and if Edward's all right."

"We'll find him, Ruuvak," Sol rumbled, "It shouldn't be all that hard. Once I taught Raven how to cast a Tear, it wasn't that hard to find Solor, remember?"

She nodded, "I remember that."

"We can try to use that method again, but, we cannot open Tears at random, either, I'm afraid," Sol said, "That's one reason why we need Nightmare to be awake. Maybe he was not being truthful before Soskrein counter-attacked."

"Once Nightmare wakes up, he'll be in a living nightmare," Solor promised.

Just then, Cyborg came in and said, "He's awake and not very happy."

"Let's go, Titans," Nightwing said.

They all went to the med bay to see Nightmare struggling against his bonds.

Solor said coldly, "You are going nowhere, Traitor. Your powers have been cancelled out and you shall answer our questions … or you'll wish you had never been hatched."

"Let me out of here and we'll see who regrets being born," Nightmare said.

Vilea said, "You sure you want to go there, Nightmare? I have every reason and every right to use my powers against you. You violated my orders..."

"Why should I follow the orders of a Traitor who 'surrendered' to Lair? We fought too long, too hard to defeat Lair and just quit because that Light Mosquito supposedly killed Oblaan," Nightmare objected, "No, he couldn't have! It had to be that damned hybrid who killed our great leader!"

"You idiot!" Vilea roared as she allowed her fury to show, "The mortals recorded my father's last moments. Kiinnum was out of action. He overexerted the gifts that the Circle granted him fighting Oblaan and Trigon. It was STARBORN WHO KILLED MY FATHER! There was no choice but to surrender! How many of your brothers were injured in the fruitless attacks on the mortal cities? How many died? Lair had allies in the mortal world. We lost. That's why I said NO MORE ACTS AGAINST LAIR!" Her eyes turned as black as Raven's soul-self and Nightmare realized that his life was about to be changed and not for the better.

He had the look of intense fear as the Heiress to the Darkness looked him in the eyes and said a line that was an echo of something Raven once said to Dr. Light, "You like the dark so much...I'll show you dark...For wanting to kill my daughter...for sending Kiinnum to another universe and for disobeying my direct command, I give you a Traitor's Sending. You are _BANISHED_ from the Dark Lair never to return. Try to return and you shall be killed on sight. Your name will be removed from our records and you will cease to exist in the eyes of the clan. Your possessions shall be destroyed and your inheritance is voided. Your children shall bear your shame for seven generations. If it were up to me, I would execute you, right here, right now. But, I will must allow the Circle to decide if you should live or die. And I shall haunt your dreams every single night until I am satisfied that you are punished. You will be in a living nightmare. I shall be the reason you are scared of your own shadow. I will be the reason you cower in fear as you weaken. What I did to Starborn will not even compare to what I will do to you. You shall wish for the Circle to allow Starborn or Edward to end your life. You will wish to receive Grand Death's blessing because Death will be far more merciful than I will be. And I strip away your powers to posses any living creature. You are no more powerful than a newborn gecko."

Vilea walked away before she said anything else or did anything else that the Circle might not approve of. She knew that she had limited authority and was trying to atone for her crimes in a manner that the Circle would approve of.

She didn't know it, but, Sol was in a rare complete agreement with her punishment and would ask the Circle to validate the action.

Solor turned and glared at Nightmare. "So, Nightmare... I was going to say more, but I think my friend has already spoken her desires... and my own. I would say that I will hurt you in so many ways that it would be surprising to come from the Light clan... but it is not required." He leaned close, snarling. "When we find Edward... and I assure you, we will... I will petition for you both to participate in a Bloodbath. You and him. One on one. The winner... is the one still alive. And I assure you, while Edward does not have all the blessings any more... you will wish you never crossed him. Knowing Edward, he will relish the opportunity to avenge his honor and avenge his goddaughter. Dead Dragon walking." He snarled, quickly passing by, wanting to focus on finding Edward, wherever he ended up.

"Fine," Nightmare said, "I shall take pleasure in ending his existence. I shall feast upon his corpse."

And Rachael looked at her blood enemy and said in her half human, half demon voice: "When Edward kills you, Raven and I shall send your very soul to the one creature who makes even a Dragon shudder in mortal fear: Trigon the Terrible. And I promise you, we will not lose sleep over this. Trigon will relish the feast we send him for where he is at, there are no souls for him to feed upon. You will be in an eternity of suffering that Hell itself cannot compare to. You cannot hope to defeat my husband for he has lived 3,000 years. If Oblaan the Traitor could not kill Edward, you could not. He has the advantage of immortality! He has the advantage of his full powers, even if the blessings bestowed upon him by the Circle were exhausted, and he has full control over my own dark powers. You have nothing left but your death at his talons. He killed our father in our universe. You think he shall show you mercy? Not when you wanted to murder my god-daughter and I shall tell him that fact when the time is right."

Damn, Solor thought. I was so distracted in trying to save Edward, that I didn't focus on what the Tear felt like. Although a lot of good that would do for me... I'm not a Dark Dragon, or an empath. I can't sense the echoes on the other side of the Tear. Also, I am glad I am not on the receiving end of either Raven or Rachael's wrath right now! Between what I know my brother is capable of and where Nightmare's soul will be put, he'll regret this for eternity.

That was when an idea came to him.

But... perhaps Soskrein can...

"Vilea and Raven," Solor requested, "Come with me, please. I have an idea. I was so focused on trying to save Edward, it didn't dawn on me to try to feel any echoes from the other side of the Tear."

"You wish to see if Soskrein might have?" Raven asked.

"Yes," Solor said, surprised, "She's a hybrid and maybe we can see if she can detect Edward or maybe echoes of the other Titans. It's worth a shot. And, Vilea. I meant what I said a moment ago. You did an excellent job telling Nightmare what he was in for and, for once, I agree with someone from Darkness. And I meant one other thing. Despite what you did to me, I have forgiven you, for Soskrein's sake. I would be honored to consider you a friend. Keep this up, and I might even call you a sister someday, like I do with Raven."

"I do not deserve it, but, thank you regardless," was all she said as they walked to get Soskrein.

They found her with the two Tamaranians finally calmed down and playing some games.

"Hey," Solor said, "I'm sorry to interrupt the fun and games, but, I was thinking about how to find Uncle Edward, Soskrein. And, we need you to help."

"What can I do, Daddy?" Soskrein asked, her eyes lighting up happily.

"Remember how your powers turned on?" Solor asked, "Well, they were turned on for good. I didn't think about this till a minute ago, but, how Aunt Raven found momma and I in Uncle Edward's universe was the echoes of the other Titans there and I. She even senses Uncle Edward's aura. I can't do that, but, maybe a Twilight dragon can with some help from Aunt Raven and Aunt Vilea."

"I'll try, daddy," Soskrein said.

"That's my girl!" Solor said. Both Kori and Kreinyol got up as well and went with the others. Both to give emotional support, if nothing else.

Vilea suppressed an urge to roll her eyes, though. It was one of the rare times she saw Edward's close family from that other reality, and while she did her best to try in any way to redeem herself and her clan in the eyes of Edward and Solor and their loved ones, emotions were not her area of expertise. She did know that this was important to everyone, though, so she kept a straight face. And she had to admit, it was rather clever of Solor to think of Soskrein's awakened ability.

Once everyone arrived at the Ops, Rachael noticed that Soskrein was with them, and she raised an eyebrow. Solor answered before the question was asked. "I thought about how Raven was able to feel our echoes on the other side of the tear, and thought about how Soskrein may be able to do the same. Her powers have awakened, so maybe she could be of some help."

"That would be great", Rachael said. "Susie, did you feel anything when that Tear opened?"

Soskrein thought about it. "Well... at first, no. But... when Uncle Edward got sucked in, all of a sudden, I could feel... Mommy and Daddy, Uncle Robin, Uncle Beast Boy, Aunt Terra, Uncle Cyborg, and Aunt Raven. But at the same time, it wasn't them. They didn't feel as... strong as they did when I talked to them in person."

"Alright, so he was sent to a Universe similar to mine", Solor mused. "He must have been to a universe where we might not have met him."

"That's a start," Sol said, "Good thinking, son. What will help the most if if this third universe is basically the same as this one. It's probably the main branch anyway. Raven, do you remember what Edward's aura felt like?"

"I couldn't mistake it," she replied, "His aura was the strongest one out of all of us, especially when he was rescuing our Starfire. If we could open a tear near this other Titans Tower and get one of us to go through to get him like before, we could have him back very soon."

Meanwhile, Nightmare was thinking about how to get out of his situation with his hide intact. He tried to morph and that didn't work as the power cancelling collar was most effective. He tried to power his way out of the bonds and discovered that he was unable to do even that.

And, he was worried. Vilea had just banished him from the Dark Lair, which meant that as soon as she returned there, the other Dark Children would be informed that he was no longer welcome and to kill him on sight. But, what Rachael said chilled him to the marrow. If he lost the fight with Edward and died, the First would allow the two to send him straight to Trigon, the one being that frightened the dragons, except the now deceased First of the Darkness. Lair would also banish him and if Vilea was as good as her threat, he would soon find himself not welcomed in the mortal world as well. In fact, he would likely be left to rot somewhere as he would not be buried in either Lair or the Dark Lair. And to a Dragon, that was the ultimate dishonor. That's why Vulonviing wanted to at least be buried within Lair had the Circle ruled to execute him. But, unlike Nightmare, Vulonviing's cooperation had spared his life and his continued help to the Circle had earned him a probationary spot in Lair. The other clans were slowly coming to trust him, but, everyone knew it would take a long time before Dark Dragons were fully trusted within Lair. But, he was frightened of something else that the half-demon voiced Raven said and that was Edward's immortality. He didn't know it but the closest Edward had ever come to dying was accepting Grand Death's blessing. Edward had but a sip of Death's cup. Nightmare was about to take a huge drink after Edward opened the can of whoop-ass.

Nightmare bowed his head, accepting that he was a marked dragon, and that there would be no talking his way out of his damnation.

"What have I done?" he said to himself.

"You have committed the suicide," Kori said, her voice ice, "Do not expect the forgiveness from your gods. You are lucky that you are not in our universe for there, the rules of the Circle need not apply. Boyfriend Nightwing would allow Brother Edward to do the slaying and so would Friend Robin. You are lucky that I will not kill you in Brother Edward's place in this realm." She walked out before Nightmare could say anything else.


	5. Edward's mistake, Solor's anger

**[Original Universe - Titan Tower]  
[Next Day] **

Edward couldn't fall asleep no matter how he tried. He felt miserable without his wife there by his side, and, he worried how they would find him before his baby was born.

He also wanted to wipe from the face of the earth the dragon who sent him here with a passion. To hell with the no kill rule of the Titans. Edward would resign if Nightwing or Robin insisted on him keeping that. And, he wondered if there was something in the Dragon's Laws that would permit him to avenge himself and he decided to trust the native Solor some more.

As dawn was breaking, he headed for the roof, leaving a short note just in case saying where he was at.

When he arrived, of course, Robin was there, watching the dawn of another day.

"Good morning," Robin said, "How did you sleep?"

"What sleep?" Edward retorted, "That was a lost cause, I'm afraid, but, good morning to you as well."

"I can't imagine everything that you're going through," Robin said gently, "And, I won't patronize you into thinking otherwise."

"You know enough, though," Edward said, "You know the pain of losing those who are the closest to you. I never told your counterpart this, but, I am sorry for your loss.

"I am grateful for what you are doing, though. You are risking a lot based on Solor's word. And, there are things that I cannot tell you about myself that your counterparts in the other two universes are aware of. Like you cannot tell me who is under that mask or who Batman is. Not to worry, though. I already know as I was told your secret identity as well as Batman's. The others will not find out from me, though.

"But, I know that my friends and family will come for me at some point. When that happens, I will send you some money back through that portal to cover any expenses. That is only fair. I assume your money is the same as what I am used to?"

Robin put a hand on Edward's shoulder, "For some reason, I'm OK with you knowing my identity and for Batman to trust you with his, says a lot as well.

"You don't have to come on missions with us, unless you want to, though." Robin handed Edward a $20 and Edward looked at it and smiled before giving it back.

"I may have to," Edward said, "I would go stir-crazy if I stayed at the tower. Just say to the media, if asked, that I'm a cousin of Solor's visiting for a little while, please. Considering that he and I have similar powers will make it believable.

"As for the money, it's the same, right down to the signatures on the bills. That means I can send paper money through or even some gold."

"May I ask..."

"No, you may not. I am sorry, but, there are things about Solor and I that this world is not ready for. Not yet," Edward said, "For one, I gave my word to Solor and he has given his word to me that what he and I discussed remains between us. After my rescue, if he wants to tell you, I cannot stop him. But, if he does, my young friend...it will be very difficult to believe."

"Actually, I was going to ask how far into our future you may be," Robin said.

"That, I suppose won't matter much," Edward said after a moment, "My universe is at least four to six years ahead of here, and, yes, I know of the possible missions the team will go on, especially major missions. Those, I probably should not reveal too much of, just in case."

Solor joined the conversation, "A wise idea, Edward. I, for one, do not wish to know what may or may not be."

"Robin," Edward asked abruptly, "Can you give Solor and I some privacy, please. Maybe 15 minutes worth?"

Robin nodded and said, "Sure, the sun is already up and that's what matters to me." He headed downstairs.

"Solor," Edward said, "There is something that you do need to know after all. Everyone noticed that little moment of eye contact between you and Starfire. And, I approve of what you and her are starting to feel towards one another. But, you and I know how the Circle will rule should they find out. They will act to banish you for good. Unlike in the middle universe, where Starborn and I swayed them into repealing the Breed Traitor law, I do not have that sort of influence with your Circle and you are still a long way to being at the point where they are willing to welcome you back to Lair. But, don't misinterpret what I am trying to say. I see the tight bonds of friendship already and, I won't try to push you two together. As much as I would want to, the price you would pay is too high. I don't want you to sacrifice a chance to return home when the Circle decides to lift your exile.

"In fact, in this universe, I would appreciate it if they did not know that I returned. It's nothing personal against them as in that other universe, they are my brothers and sisters. Here, I want to keep any contamination of timelines to as little as possible. You see, my being in the middle of these three universes changed your culture immensely and the ripples of this unintentional interference in their natural development will spread out throughout time."

"There are times when I wish I could return to Lair," Solor said.

Edward said sadly, "I know exactly how you feel, brother." Edward didn't realize it, but, he just made a tactical error.

Solor said, "Why did you call me a brother? I barely know you!"

"Are not all dragons Children of the First? Aren't we all one family, even if different clans? I honor you by calling you a brother because in that other reality, we are closer than friends, however, if you wish, I will not call you that. The Starborn I know had earned the right to be my brother-in-arms and a son of the heart. That Starborn is the polished diamond that you will become if you stay on this path! Fight for others, for those mortals you actually have disregarded your hatred for mortals in general instead of your own needs and wants. These Teen Titans trust you to have their backs. They have entrusted their lives to your care," Edward said.

Solor remained silent for only a moment. He thought about what was said, and the interactions between himself and his Kreinyol. Eventually, he decided to voice his opinions. "Edward, I do appreciate the sentiment... but I am not your brother. I am not the Starborn you know. I am Solor of the Teen Titans. My duty is to this city, and should I be accepted back into Lair, to the world. I will fight whatever enemy I am thrust towards, for I am a soldier. I know not what happened to your brother, but if you know enough to call him a brother, then know this." He steeled his gaze. "I am NOT the Heir to the Light. I am NOT in line to be the next Grand Light. And even if there is... a slight attraction to Kreinyol... she is my best friend, and a mortal, albeit an alien one. I will not risk what we have on a whim, and if the Circle is indeed watching me, I will not risk my banishment." He turned, and it was obvious to Edward that he was angry. "You know what I could be. You do not know what I am. And that... is why you are NOT my brother."

Edward said after a LONG moment, "Solor...You're right. I apologize. Your path is your own to choose. Yes, I know what you became in that world. But, here, your path is as yet undetermined. I'm not trying to push you and her together and I can tell that you do not want to risk losing a chance to return home. A desire I certainly would want, especially now giving my own situation. Starfire is certainly worthy of being your best friend, and, I wouldn't have it any other way. Again, I am sorry for offending you."

Edward sighed. He'd done it again, assumed something about Solor that wasn't quite true or applicable...He was sick of that same blasted mistake. First, he had kept assuming that Starborn was always ready to go off on someone, only to realize during the war that he had tamed his anger. Now, he was with the Solor he first encountered who only considered Starfire to be a very good friend. The two Solors were so different now and Edward was risking too damn much. So, he decided not to say anything else about the other universes, to anyone. It wasn't worth it to him. This Solor had no intention of being the Heir, meaning that in this universe, the Circle would have to find a new Heir, and here, Solor was still angry about being exiled enough that he simply wasn't ready to reconsider. He felt like smacking the wall in frustration, but with his stress levels quite elevated, the result would have been damaging to the Tower itself.

Solor noticed Edward's melancholy expression, and sighed. "Look, Edward... there might have been a big change, thanks to you meeting with the other me. But you have to think things differently. None of us are the family that you know from there. In this universe, there is no mortal and dragon alliance. The war with Darkness is still very real. And in all honesty... I'm not sure about my future. I sometimes think that this is all pointless. But..." He smiled slightly, looking out towards the city. "I look at the citizens of Jump City. And I can't help but feel a bit of pride when they are able to sleep at night. That they can look forward to the next day. I know now what it is like to protect something that I care for." He turned back to Edward. "I'm sure there are similarities between me and your Starborn. But you have to think of this as a fresh start. I may not become the one you know... but I would be honored to at least try to be your friend. Just... try not to compare us. While I am intrigued as to how your universe and the middle turned out, we are our own persons. Destiny has other plans in store for us if the First decided that we were not meant to meet in the same way."

"Well, to partially answer your intrigue if nothing else. At first, there was very little difference," Edward admitted, "When Starborn arrived, man, he were absolutely livid. A few thousand dollars worth of wood were destroyed. The Tear that spat him out Raven and I saw from the roof and I checked it out, being to get there faster than the team could. Starborn tried to chase me off with a fireball. It didn't work and we battled there in the forest. He actually got me in a weak spot, one of my wing joints before Raven teleported the rest of the team. Starfire was livid at seeing me injured and Starborn almost found out what happens when my own temper erupts. Raven calmed me down as he realized that he was in a different universe and a few years ahead of this point. And, he showed us his communicator, proving that he was also a Teen Titan. That opened the door."

Solor smirked, "That does sound like me and how I might have reacted. It wasn't the best of starts."

"No, it wasn't," Edward mused, "We sparred the next day, and, it was a disaster. Oh, we were evenly matched, but, I made a huge mistake: I went from tossing trash talk at Starborn to, well, insulting your ancestors because I wanted to see the Blessing of Light. Well, he showed me all right. I found out that is doesn't end well when your ancestors are insulted. Had I not been immortal and switched my scales to silver, he could have seriously injured me or worse. As it was, I ended up in the Med Bay recovering from third degree burns next to Starborn as be recovered his strength. I apologized to him when he woke up. But, Starborn was there for almost a month and we gradually came to see him as a colleague and friend. There was something else that happened several days later, though."

"Do not make that mistake here," Solor warned, "You think Starborn is capable of great anger, you might be surprised."

"No need to worry on that account," Edward replied, "I have seen the rage you are capable of. Starborn only gave me a mere taste and that was plenty. I have seen what your anger, through Starborn, will do to others. I have no desire to feel your wrath by an ill worded statement of disrespect. In fact, I will respect your unspoken wish to not discuss them, less you bring it up. Fair enough? I brought Starborn's anger upon myself. I will say that I not only apologized to him, but, the Grand Light as well, because honor demanded nothing less. Only then did I feel as if my honor was restored."

Solor's annoyance bled away and he smiled, "Thank you for that consideration. Yes, I shall honor that."

"Yeah," Edward said, "to continue the account: Another Tear formed out over the bay and I had to race to catch whoever it was. In fact, I had to teleport to catch the person. I caught her, flipped over to let my ridges take the impact and by then Starborn had caught up. I had rescued Kreinyol from his universe! I later found out what happened. There was enough magical residue that it formed a secondary Tear that homed in on her greatest desire: To be with her best friend. I told Starborn to either grab hold of me or get on my back cause I was teleporting to the Tower. He did something that was out of character and got on. I teleported to the Tower and he insisted on taking her to the Med bay, something that I certainly did not object to. I think that is what started him on the path he is on now. Forgive me, Solor, but, I do not think I should say anymore. I do not want to give you an impression that is further mistaken. The Starborn I know, as you mentioned, is a very different dragon than you are. You're right. This is a clean slate here and I have to remember that. So, no, we are not brothers. I was wrong to presume that. However, for the time that I am here, we can try to be friends. Thank you for the correction."

Solor smirked, "A lot of dragons would not take being chewed out so well. I can't imagine the shock you're feeling right now.

"Yeah, maybe you should not say anymore. I need to follow the path that the First set out for me. As you do as well."

"Solor," Edward said, "All this isn't pointless. At the least, you are getting an experience that other dragons won't get and a different insight on this mortal world. The alliance I spoke of is still quite young, and, only the First knows where it will end up. It could fall apart someday. The human governments are wary of dragons, worried that despite claims to the contrary, that the Circle will want to assume control. It's a delicate balancing act. And, to be honest, it's still very possible that the Circle could rule that dragons withdraw to Lair and leave the alliance themselves.

"Also, despite the fact that we've only just met, I am relieved that you fighting for the people of Jump City. It's a good feeling for anyone, human, alien or dragon to have.

"One other point, to another of your friends here, you swerved her history merely by training her on how to control her powers. To Terra, even though you were necessarily harsh with her at times, I can see that she has achieved probably 95% control without that bastard Slade's interference. She's a stronger woman for knowing you. That's certainly not pointless." Edward smiled a little to hopefully convey that he was complimenting Solor a little. But, he wasn't sure how it would be taken.

"What good will it do here?" Solor challenged, "I fight for what I believe is right.

"Please, I will only ask this once. I do not handle compliments well, so, stop trying to do so. I appreciate the thought, though."

"No questions there," Edward said with a smile, "I do as well, so, I think that we can be friends while I'm here. As for Starfire, I really can't say anything else except to enjoy her friendship. She is a wonderful friend to have."

Solor smirked, "On that, we're agreed."

"Would you mind a question?" Edward asked, "When two dragons have a serious grudge against one another, what happens?"

The question took Solor by surprise, but, he recovered quickly, "It depends, Edward. If it's serious enough, the Circle can sanction what is called a Bloodbath. It's a fight to the death and the rules are very specific, though. The Circle determines the rules, but, the only main rule is that the winner … is the one that lives."

"I see," Edward said, "well, I hope that the Dragon I will feed to the scavengers is right with the First."

The door opened and Cyborg poked his head out, "Yo! I know you two gotta be hungry! Let's eat!"

Edward smiled for the first time since he was tossed there and his stomach betrayed him with a rumble anyway.

He headed for the Ops Center with Solor right behind him.

He took a deep sniff to discover waffles, eggs and a couple different types of meats. Followed by the classic Beast Boy-Cyborg meat debate. Edward chuckled at that.

"You'll get used to it," Robin said, "They bicker all the time over meat vs vegetarian."

"I'll bet," Edward said, "Pass the real eggs, please?"

They were passed over to him and he dished out a nice serving before handing the plate to Solor. When he reached for the Ham, Beast Boy said, "Dude...you can become that animal! Why are you eating meat?"

"Beast Boy," Edward said gently, "As Raven once told you: I respect that you don't eat meat. Please respect the fact that I don't always eat fake meat. I do enjoy tofu once in a while, which makes my universe's Beast Boy happy, though. I am an omnivore, so, please understand that. Pass me the waffles, please."

Raven raised an eyebrow as the waffles were floated over to him, "Interesting that you know what I once told him."

"I know the history of my team, that's all," Edward said, "But, before anyone gets the idea that I will spill things about my universe compared to here, it's not happening. I am not going to risk a paradox happening. Not unless you want all existence to be erased. A friend of mine once said that history needs to unfold at it's own pace. Pass the potatoes, please."

That shut down a lot of the questions that might have been asked as Edward got some hash browns.

Solor loaded his plate with a bunch of protein and said, "I usually don't eat breakfast here. But, for our guest, I'm OK with this."

The breakfast went quite well as the team engaged Edward in some "Getting to know you better" chat. Some questions Edward refused to answer as they dealt with possible paradoxes, others got a good reply, though. Others were the opinions he had of their counterparts in his reality. Those he answered in general terms.

Terra was really curious about her counterpart and Edward said, "For you, Terra, your counterpart had a very rough life. She became Slade's lackey in exchange for control over her powers. She should have died. You see, Slade turned her against the Teen Titans there and she attacked without the mercy that the team was trying to show her. But, when the team struck back, it wasn't long before she retreated back to Slade's lair. He was furious and beat her bad, before using a neural suit to override her body. It took a lot of willpower for her to overcome the suit and when her and Slade fought, her powers triggered a volcano.

"She killed Slade in self-defense and bade farewell to the team. She stopped the eruption, at a terrible price: She was petrified. When I joined the team, one of my innate powers kicked in and sensed that she was still, somehow, alive. It took Raven and the rest of the team to give of their strength and life-force to free her. There's a few things that out of necessity, I cannot tell you, though.

"In the last few years, though, she's recovered from the emotional damage and has full control over her abilities.

"The only reason I am comfortable telling you that is because Solor altered your personal history. You won't become Slade's apprentice, so, that's a timeline you will not experience."

"Did she and BB hook up?" Terra asked.

Edward smiled, "Yes, they did and are still a couple. But, that's as far as I think I should answer here. Read into that what you will."

"Are there any other couples?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," Edward said, "One I don't mind sharing is me and the Raven I know are married. And, that is why I need to get back there soon. She is pregnant and likely to give birth very soon."

Edward did not have the heart to tell Robin that in his reality, Starfire and Robin had become a couple. It probably would have torn apart this team over Robin's clear jealousy. Then again, Edward had no idea what could happen in this universe. Starfire's path had a couple of end results. One would be in the crossover universe with her and Solor engaged to be married (and married according to Dragon customs), or, as in Edward's native universe, Nightwing and Starfire were a couple as well.

If they aren't able to hook up as a couple, Starfire will eventually move on and the new guy could be like at home with a Robin/Starfire setup, Edward thought. Here, I will need to stay out of it. Solor simply would not want to risk his ticket home. Back in the middle universe, only reason his exile was lifted was the Trigon threat. He also showed them that he has tamed his issues. Had Trigon been in the right place historically, I don't think he'd be welcome back. His best course of action may be to let her go and be with Robin at some point.

Solor thought about what Edward had said, and looked over at Starfire. He frowned a bit, silently eating his breakfast. He thought about who Starfire would end up with, and thought silently to himself. He pictured Starfire with a variety of people, and every one seemed to piss him off even more. Eventually, he stood up, leaving his plate half finished. "I'm going on patrol", he said, hiding a growl that threatened to form in his throat. "I will return in an hour or so."

With that, he started to leave, but Raven suddenly stood up as well, deciding to follow. Of course, she wasn't going to voice this. "I have to go meditate", she said, leaving the room in a hurry.

Robin raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on, while Starfire worried about her best friend. Cyborg, meanwhile, shrugged, reaching over and adding Solor's generous helping of eggs and ham to his own plate.

Edward frowned, though. Did something he say affect those two?

He wanted to follow them, but, for once, decided not to act on that thought. Unlike Starborn, Solor would not react well to discover that he had a disguised dragon on his tail. He probably would be angry that Raven had followed him, but, was less likely to want to throw her through a wall.

Edward sighed as he finished his breakfast. He also realized that if was probably not a good idea to be seen around Jump City unless it was needed.

"You all right?" Terra asked, noticing his mood.

"Just peachy," Edward said, "Please, no more questions about my universe or the differences that I am forced to see. I think I may have said too much already. And unless a major city threatening mission comes up, I think I will take Robin up on his offer to sit out. Solor's obviously quite angry at something and I am worried that it was something I said. But, folks, when I am rescued … forget I was ever here. It's not personal, it's to preserve your history as much as possible. I'll be in the training room."

He got up ad calmly as possible and headed over to the training center to blow off some of his frustrations.

When he got there, he activated the heavy bag and after putting on some wrist tape and other things that he really didn't need, went to work.

An hour later, though, he was still as angry as before, if not more so to the point his eyes were starting to glow an orange shade. A fact that Starfire noticed when she came in to find him.

"Edward?" she asked sweetly, "What is wrong? You are most angry. Did we do something wrong?"

Edward replied, "No, you guys didn't. I am worried about what will become of this team, just because I am here. I am worried about three members of this team, Star. I am worried about what you called the Rekmas may happen."

"No!" she said, "Why? You must tell me."

"That's the thing, Starfire," he said, "This is much like the two teams of Teen Titans I know in two different realities. This one isn't. One is about ready to explode...eh, he's extremely angry and the first one that annoys him will not like his response. The second one is barely restraining feelings of the envy, and the third one is totally innocent of doing any wrongdoing. And my being here is not helping matters at all, in fact, it made things worse! And I do not know what to do to fix things!" He punched the heavy bag again and it flew up and smacked the ceiling before coming back down. Starfire intercepted it before it smacked Edward.

"That is quite the power," she noted.

"Yeah, I'm stronger than I look," he said, "And I cannot tell you why, either."

"Why is that?" she asked, giving him the patented puppy pout.

He switched to Tamaranian and said, "Because, if I told you, you would not believe me and tell the others. And that would cause even more problems, especially between the team and Friend Solor. That, I cannot tell even you and you are so much like your counterpart from my native world that I hate not being able to grant your request. I do not have the desire to ask you to keep it a secret, either."

She looked stunned to know that Edward spoke fluent Tamaranian to the point that she decided it might not be worth the additional trouble. If he felt it necessary to tell her no in her native language, it was pretty important.

[With Solor - Jump City]

Solor had taken to the skies relatively easily. But he was certainly concerned. With Edward showing up, new questions were forming in his mind. He wondered what had happened to his possible future, who he had ended up with. Did he take Vilea as a mate? Did they raise Soskrein together? Or was he a single father? And what of the rest of his team? Did Beast Boy and Terra stay together? Who did Robin end up with? What about Starfire?

At the mere thought of his best friend, he could only snarl. "Curse her and her stupid looks! I'm not supposed to feel this way!" he growled to himself. He smacked his face lightly. "Snap out of it, Solor..." He decided to try to calm himself, and found his way to a book store. He never told anyone, but besides singing and fighting, he did enjoy a good book. Granted, he mainly read history books to see if he could find dragons in the history, as part of his job, banished or not, was to find dragon interference and report it to the leaders so that they would know whether or not a dragon was helping mold history. He did, however, enjoy reading the occasional fantasy story.

So, imagine his surprise when he smelled something familiar, and quickly turned to see Raven next to him. "And what are you doing here?" he asked. "I said I'd be back in an hour."

"You're obviously not happy about something", Raven said. "I figured I might be able to talk to you, help you think it through and calm down before you do something you might regret."

Solor sighed. Normally, he would be defensive, and tell Raven to mind her own business. But he knew she could pick up on his emotions, and while he did prefer his privacy, Edward's interference had him riled up, probably to the point that his emotions were bleeding over to Raven and affecting her.

"Fine. Let's go inside. I have to find something new for my collection", he said, leading her into the store.

He told her everything that he could, without mentioning that he was a dragon. She had her eyebrows raised as he recounted everything to her, from Edward's calling him a brother, his own daughter, to how in another universe, another time, he could be returned home. But she knew there was more to this than he was letting on.

"What's really bothering you, Solor?" she asked. "What did Edward say that has you so riled up?"

Finally, Solor decided to face the real problem. "Well... I admit, as he spoke of... possible relationships that we could have, I thought about you all... and I thought of who would be compatible together. I do not see very many possibilities for one another... and none for me. At least, not for a long time."

"What about you and Starfire?" she asked, seeing her chance to nudge him in the right direction.

At the mention of Starfire, Solor's face turned bright red. He quickly turned away, cursing lightly. "W-W-What do you mean?" he asked. "We are good friends, yes? Must we be something else?"

Raven internally smirked, knowing she caught him. "Solor, it's obvious to everyone. You and Starfire really like each other. And you're not a part of your home anymore, since your leaders cast you out. Why don't you just follow your heart?"

At that, Solor sighed. "You are not the first to make inferences like this, Raven. When we visited Tamaran, Galfore spoke of how he wished for me to protect Starfire. When I told him that there was nothing going on between me and her... he said, 'my heart cannot lie'. I do not know what he means... but I can't pursue a relationship. If I wish to return home... I must abstain from any romantic relationship."

"So... if Robin asked Starfire out, would you be okay with that?"

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Solor roared, getting a lot of shushing in response. He winced, quietly apologizing, before glaring at Raven, who could no longer hide the smirk. "What are you trying to prove, Raven?"

"Just think about it. Meditate on it. I'm sure you'll come to an answer eventually", she said.

Solor frowned, but decided not to push it any further. He needed to think this through. Something was wrong with him, or so he thought, and he needed to find a way to rectify this. So, to distract himself for the time being, he quickly picked a book and left Raven alone, going to make his purchase.

Raven dropped the smirk, and was about to head out herself, when she picked up on something. In the corner of her eye was a book on a pedestal, and when she turned, she realized why the book was so intriguing.

It was plain white, with no title, only a small circle decorating the cover. And she could feel that there was something... special about it, even though it looked very plain.

Never judge a book by its cover, she thought to herself, picking it up and heading to the register to pay for it.


	6. Spellbound and Planning Edward rescue

**Chapter 6**  
**[Three Days Later]**

Well, it had been three days since Edward had been transported to this universe. Needless to say, it was a little bit stressful for the older dragon. Once he was cleared for a real mission, he requested to handle his first one by himself, so he could vent a little bit. Eventually, Cinderblock attacked, and Edward could only grin, happy that such a tough villain had made an attempt. Needless to say, the city knew about Edward now, and knew not to mess with him.

As Edward approached Cinderblock, he knew he would have to let loose a bit, which suited him just fine. it was a nearly perfect stress reliever.

"Hey, Rocks for Brains," Edward taunted, "Why don't you take on someone who can out-muscle you."

Cinderblock looked like he wanted to laugh as he sized up his challenger before charging. Edward morphed to a hybrid form he learned from Starborn and jumped over Cinderblock. He landed and kicked Cinderblock from behind, sending the golem to the ground.

Cinderblock got up and growled as if to say, "Cinderblock will crush you for that."

Edward merely laughed, "You want a piece of me, eh? Bring it on."

Cinderblock brought his two massive arms down to see Edward blocking the blows easily before being thrown backwards.

The battle continued for a good 15 minutes before Edward finally said, "Thanks for letting me blow off some stream. Time to end this, though." Next thing Cinderblock knew, he was waking up in a cell. Edward had stunned him with a lightning blast.

In the meantime Solor had been meditating more often than usual, joining Raven often on the roof. She hadn't been letting him into her room, probably because she liked to read her new book all the time now. She rarely left her room anymore, only to fight on missions and to read the book. Anyway, while Solor was meditating more often, he seemed a bit moodier than normal. He tended to avoid everyone, not wanting to hurt anyone by accident. The only time he vented was during training, and needless to say, he was merciless. Edward could tell something was troubling the young dragon, and wanted to help. But he needed to stay out of it as much as possible. Maybe if Solor came to him for help, he'd offer his wisdom, but at the moment, the banished dragon didn't want anything.

Or so he thought. Finally, after a while, Solor called Edward to his own room, and closed the door behind him. "Um... Edward, I have a few questions I would like to ask you. Have you had experience... with... I believe the mortals call it therapy?"

Edward was surprised, but soon nodded. "Um... yeah. When I joined my team, I sort of became their unofficial psychiatrist. I listen to their problems, give my advice, and I don't tell anyone else. So... whatever's said between you and I will be completely confidential, if you would like it to be."

Solor nodded, and sat on his bed. He motioned for Edward to sit at his desk, then started talking. "Welll... I'm sure you've noticed that I have been rather... irritable as of late. I've been thinking about things you've said... like possible relationships and such. I know you know about a possible future for me to live in... but I'm not concerned about that. I would like to know, however... what should I do if others think that I am in love with someone?"

Edward sat back and gave it some thought before replying, "The first thing that you have to do, is be sure of your own feelings. I noticed that you've been meditating a bit, but, I won't ask what about. That's between you and your conscience. If you are sure about the feelings in your heart, one way or another, it shouldn't matter what the other Teen Titans think. If you are in love with someone and they have the same feelings in return, as long as you do not make it obvious outside of this building, you should be OK and who cares what the others here think? Then again, if you're asking what I think you're asking, I would advise caution. There's another team member here who also has taken a liking to this other person and could react very badly to this development. Remember the prom night?"

Solor thought about it, taking a moment to go over everything. "Well... your prom night might have been different from mine. I was asked by Kitten to the prom... well, more forced. Anyway, she had me be her date for this prom, and while it was not ideal for me, I went along with it. I got advice from Robin and Cyborg, and treated her with as much respect and kindness as I could. Starfire went with to make sure that nothing went wrong, and after it was over, I took Starfire for a dance. I didn't notice anything else going on, if that's what you're talking about. Why do you ask?" Solor had to force himself to say Starfire. With his mixed up emotions, he didn't feel the same about calling her Kreinyol at the moment.

"Well, in my home universe, it was Robin who got coerced into the prom night with Kitten and, it did not end up as well as here. The common factor in both universes is Starfire. In both, she went to the prom in a stunning dress. But, there, she destroyed the front of the limo and during the prom, her and Kitten got into a fight. I shouldn't even be telling you this, but, since we're keeping necessary secrets, this is necessary. The reason, in both universes for her behavior was because of jealousy. She was jealous that Kitten would have stolen you in this universe and 'Robbie-poo' in mine. Here, you managed to flip her to the good guys side. There, she stayed a minor villain and Killer Moth was a thorn in their sides. Solor, I don't need Raven's empathic abilities to know how conflicted you are, and, well, the most I can do is listen. I know I implied that the folks in Lair are watching you. But, I can't tell you if that's the case. Listen to your heart, for it will not lie to you. For the heart cannot be told who to love, either."

At that, Solor frowned. Edwards words reminded him of Galfore's, and he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a few beats when he heard that Starfire had been jealous. He looked down, thinking to himself. "Edward... do you think I have fallen for her?" he asked. "I'm not asking this because of a possible outcome that I think may have happened in this... crossover universe that you speak of. I want to know for myself, for my sake, for her sake. Do you think that I have fallen in love with Starfire? And do you think she loves me? And... what should I do if I do?" He gripped his head, and Edward could see tears in his eyes. "I've spent years away from home... my mother is dead, and I still cannot grieve her. But I can't turn my back on my friends... my family here. I can't turn my back on Starfire, or Raven, or anyone else. Not even Robin, no matter how many times he does to me. I am so conflicted... do my loyalties lie with my species? Or with the people who have shown so much care, kindness, and worry about me?"

"Solor," Edward replied, "I had this same basic conversation with Starborn and Starfire … the middle universe Starfire, that is. My answer is the same as then. Yes, I do believe that you have fallen for her and she feels the same way about you. You know how she learned English. That was a critical point in the timeline. Right now, it's a crush she is feeling, but, I've learned that regardless of where one if from, a crush can become true love. The Starfire of my universe knows this very well. And, about your mother, one does not have to be at the gravesite to grieve. My suggestion here is simple. Go out to the desert. Get as secluded as possible, and...sing the Sending Song. Before you ask, I am aware of that custom from learning your ways. If you have to copy your mother's grave, I would be honored to assist, if you want. If not, I understand. You can stay loyal to Lair and the dragons that you honor by calling brother without turning your back on the team. As for Robin, he will mature over the years and will be a very loyal friend and leader. He will stay driven and motivated because, even though he won't admit it today: All of you are part of his family. That certainly includes you. The last time you got fed up and quit the team, he was out looking for you. Partly out of concern, but, mainly because Star ripped him up one side and down the other. She saw what he refused to see: You and Jinx set aside team differences and had a good time. Give Star some credit. She's not as naïve as people think, even when she is confused about some cultural things. Should you act on your feelings, and, I am not trying to get you to do that before you want to. You will not regret it."

Solor thought about everything he said, and nodded. "Thank you, Edward... you have given me answers I desperately needed. Even if I cannot mourn over her body, I can do my best to mourn for her here. I would not mind if you helped me, but I think it's best that I do this on my own. I'm sure you already know, but a dragon should never show his weakest moments except to his mate. And... about Starfire..." He sniffled a bit, wiping his eyes before a glimmer of confidence began to show. "I may like her, but... I think it's for the best if I do not pursue a relationship. I am not certain if how I feel is love or not, but I could be called back into Lair at any time. If I start a relationship, only for it to be ripped away... if Starfire does indeed feel the same about me, it would not be fair to her. And besides, if I do start a relationship, like you said, I may never see my homeland again. It's best if I play it safe for now. Starfire is my best friend. I will keep her close, and if she falls for another, I will support her as best as I can." He got up, opening the door. "Thank you for your words, Edward. I will return soon... I must sing for my mother one last time."

Edward nodded, "Sounds like a plan, Solor. And, I understand about needed the privacy to mourn your mother. I will be doing that as well within a few years at most. For you to open up to me is a step in a good direction. Go and grieve for her." He extended his hand on a whim.

Solor was surprised and, despite that he didn't like to be touched, decided to shake Edward's hand and departed without another word.

"Go with the First, Solor," Edward said after the door closed.

Solor stopped by Robin's quarters and merely said, "I am heading out for a couple of hours, I shall return when I am done. Please do not let anyone follow me, for, what I must do, I do alone."

Robin nodded, "That's ok. We'll see you when you get back."

**[Raven's room]**

While the team noticed that Raven was hiding more and more in her room, she had been stung by something Beast Boy had said and "Why do you to be so creepy all the time?" She wished that someone could meet someone who understood her and listened to her. She was surprised when a deep voice responded. As she read more about the book and a struggle between Rorek and Malchior she realized that the book actually did understand her deepest feelings and that stirred an emotion she had never felt before.

Unknown to her, though, Edward was highly aware of her feelings, having spend so many years with Rachael. She wasn't blocking her emotions that well and Edward had no problem picking them up.

He realized exactly where he was in this universe's timeline as a result.

_DAMMIT!_ he thought, _This is when Rae is tricked by that damned Malchior! She's already starting to fall for him, thinking he's just a person trapped in a book, not a Dark Dragon. He gets freed and the only two who can defeat him other than a heart-broken Raven is myself and Solor. That would force both of us to drop our human covers. I know in the middle universe, Starborn's already been here. I'm going to have to confide in him upon his return._

He was interrupted in his thoughts when the alarms sounded.

"What is that?" Robin asked.

"Its name is Kardiak, Robin," Edward said, "A pretty nasty creature, but, can be defeated."

"Wish we had Solor here," Starfire said.

"It'll be OK," Edward assured her, "Robin? Shall we?"

"Titans, GO!" Robin said and they all headed for the T-Car. Edward opted for a hybrid form and flew above the T-car as Terra flew alongside him.

They arrived at the park as Kardiak was trying to suction in a kid. Robin's bird-a-rangs sliced through the tentacles and quipped, "Kardiak, you're under arrest." Edward groaned at the bad pun.

However, Kardiak pulled the pieces together and started manhandling the team easily, even Edward took a tumble that got his eyes glowing yellow. Had this been his universe, Edward would have torn whatever that thing is apart.

Kardiak tried attacking Raven, but she dodged the blows the first time, but, when she was flung to the ground, she snarled, "This has gone on far enough. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Her powers grabbed onto the walking heart and pulled it apart. All Edward saw then was Raven back in the T-Car, seat-belt on and saying "Can we go now?"

That confirmed things in Edward's mind. And, he was not happy at all. He was trying to keep in mind that this Raven was not his wife of the last 3 years, but, the Raven who was trying to find her place in the world. He decided, even though it risked a swerve in the local history to tell the only ally he knew would understand.

He also had another hope in mind. He knew that Solor would have to be gently pushed towards his true feelings and wanted to somehow get or encourage Robin to ask Starfire out on a date, but, he couldn't risk Solor finding out, at least until after he was pulled back to where he lived and out of the reach of Solor's anger.

However, when they returned, Raven immediately flew back to her room and locked the door.

Starfire decided to head to the mall for a bit and the two pranksters developed their first Stankball. They first tried their pitch on Edward, who declined so, they went to bother Raven.

Edward went to Robin's room and knocked.

After being invited in, Edward said, "Robin, Have you ever thought about ASKING Starfire out on a date? I noticed that you have an attraction to her. Then again, it's pretty obvious how you feel. I do not think Solor is going to ask her out and who knows, she might accept the offer of even a one time date, between friends."

Robin looked at Edward like he was out of his mind, "You're kidding me, right?"

"Not at all," Edward said, mentally crossing his talons, "She's not going to wait forever and who knows. You might be the right man at the right time. The worst thing that will happen is that she says "Not interested, friend Robin."

Robin gave it some thought and nodded, "I've got nothing to do tonight. Let's find out."

Starfire returned from the mall with a bunch of things for her hair and decided to get them put in. She ducked into her room, not even bothering to ask even Terra for help and came out a few minutes later, hair done up in a way that forced Edward NOT to bust out laughing.

After a few more moments, Robin finally got the nerve to ask Starfire out. It was only him, Starfire, and Edward in the Ops. "So, Starfire... are you doing anything tonight?" he asked, sweating a bit.

"No, I am not", Starfire replied, smiling cheerfully. "I was hoping to get a training session with Solor, but it seems he has not returned from his errands yet, so that leaves me free for the rest of the day."

Robin smiled. "Well... I was wondering... there is this new movie coming out, and I was wondering if maybe you'd want to go with me. You know, just me and you?"

Starfire stared at Robin, almost confused. Then, realization hit her, and she felt her cheeks warm up with a light dusting of pink. "Robin... are you asking me on a date?"

That was when Solor chose to return from his trip.

Before he had opened the door to the roof, he had been feeling good. He finally got a lot of emotions off of his chest, and sang the Sending Song in a spectacular fashion, one that would make his mother proud. However, all of that came crashing down as he heard his best friend being asked out by Robin. He froze, his foot creaking on the stair, causing everyone to look at him. He looked at Starfire and Robin, his face completely devoid of any emotion, and slowly, he continued his descent.

"Starfire", he said suddenly, getting her attention. "It is rude to keep someone who asked you a question waiting."

Starfire blushed a bit, but soon turned to Robin. "Um... Robin, I... I do not know what to say."

Robin raised his hands. "Look, Star, if I'm making you uncomfortable, you don't have to say yes. It all depends on what you want."

Starfire looked down, a bit ashamed. "It is not that I feel uncomfortable... I just... do not think it is something I should do. But I do not want to hurt your feelings."

Robin frowned at that, and sighed. "You like someone else, don't you?" When she didn't answer, he turned away. "It's alright... I figured that would be the case." Without another word, he left the Ops, leaving Solor, Starfire, and Edward alone in the center.

Solor looked to Starfire. "So... do I know who this guy you might like is?" he asked, smiling a bit. He held up his hand before she could answer. "Kreinyol... I know you may be confused about your feelings. You don't have to tell me anything. I will be here for you, no matter what."

Although it wasn't what she wanted to hear, she couldn't help but smile. It was the first time he had called her Kreinyol in days, and she couldn't help but feel relieved when she heard it. "Thank you, Solor... I must go back to my room. These hair accessories are starting to pull a bit, and though they are cute, I need to remove them." With that, she gave him a hug, and flew off to her room.

Solor turned to Edward, and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "That... was very stressful."

Edward said, "That was nothing. I need to discuss something with you...now."

They walked towards Edward's temporary quarters and they sat down. Edward said, "You know how 'back home', Raven's my mate, correct?" Solor nodded, "You told everyone here."

"Well, the Raven here is on the same mental frequency that my wife is," Edward explained, "And while you were gone, I discovered exactly where I am in your timeline. Have you heard of a dragon named Malchior?"

Solor immediately felt his eyes widen. Without another word, he quickly tore out of the room, running as fast as he could towards Raven's room. Edward, shocked by the response, had little option but to chase his friend down, hoping he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Raven!" Solor called out, knocking on her door. "I know what you're doing! Do not trust anything he says!"

Raven didn't reply at first, startled. She had just summoned a body for Malchior to use, made mainly out of paper. Malchior, however, looked confused. "Did you tell anyone I was here?"

"I've only just discovered you were in that book, how does Solor know?" Raven wondered.

"Malchior!" came Solor's voice. "You will leave her alone and spend the rest of eternity in that book! Do you hear me?!"

Raven immediately got suspicious. She turned to Malchior, glaring a bit. "How does he know you?"

Malchior, at first wasn't sure what to say. But soon, an evil little plan hatched in his mind. "Well... to protect the rest of the world, I had to commit some crimes against his people."

That threw Raven for a loop. "Wait... does that mean you know who Solor is?"

"I know more than he'll ever tell you", Malchior confirmed. "Just release me, and I will tell you everything you need to know about your friend and the secret he selfishly keeps to himself. After all... secrets aren't a good thing to keep from a team, are they?" Malchior approached Raven, placing a hand on her cheek. "Raven, you and I are cut from the same cloth. We reside in the Dark, and we fight for what is right. You and I both know there's more to this world than black and white, that there's so many moral greys. Solor will not tell you because his loyalty is to his people above all... when they are probably the biggest threat to the world as you know it."

"YOU'RE A DAMNED LIAR, MALCHIOR!" Solor roared. "RAVEN, YOU MUST NOT BELIEVE HIM! HE WILL DO NOTHING BUT BRING YOU HARM! HE WILL TELL ANY LIE, ANY STORY, JUST TO BE FREE FROM HIS PRISON!"

[Raven? It's Edward, do not close this link, please. You are not dealing with who you think you are. Malchior is passing himself off as human. He's the dragon in the book you are reading and should you free him, he will attack the team, try to destroy all of us. The Teen Titans in my universe fought him. Please, trust Solor and I.]

Raven wasn't sure who to trust any more. Malchior, who understood who she is, or Solor, who kept so many secrets. She wasn't sure on what to do, and Edward could sense it. Finally, Solor came up with an answer.

"Raven... I will tell you the truth." Solor grit his teeth. "I will tell you everything about me, my people, my family... I will tell you my history, the reason why I hated being around people when I first met with the team. I will tell you and the rest of our friends. But most importantly... I will tell you not only who I am... but what I am. Just please... listen to me. Give me the book, and I will make sure he never sees the light of day again."

"Raven," Edward said, "I shall do the same, I know you have to wonder what's going on. Please, listen to Solor. Listen to me. Your empathic senses will tell you if we are lying or not."

Raven looked towards the door, and could sense nothing but pure honesty from Solor. He was giving his word that she would know everything she needed to know, as long as she handed over the book. Malchior, stunned by Solor's reaction, couldn't think of anything to say to try to sway Raven to help him. So, eventually, she turned to Malchior, her eyes cold.

"You must have done something terrible if Solor is so adamant about keeping you there", she said. "It makes me wonder... what other terrible things you would do once you got loose."

Malchior immediately got defensive. "Sweet Raven, we can talk about this..."

"No. I'm going to get my answers from someone who isn't willing to lie to me, even though he knows I can tell when he's lying to me. You... I can't sense a word of truth from you. I let you play with my emotions, but they are mine and mine alone. And I can see now... you are nothing like me." She cast another spell, and just like that, Malchior's body was destroyed, bound back in the book, and it was closed, effectively shutting up the screams and curses from the imposter.

The door opened, and Raven, with her hood up over her head, handed the book over. "I'll gather everyone else", she said to him. "As much as I'd like to say that you're off the hook... there's too much you're not telling us. The shapeshifting, the strength... the fact that you two are a lot older than you look. Something is not adding up... and I don't want you to keep lying to our friends." With that said, Raven left them behind, leaving the white book in Solor's claws.

Edward said, "Good work, Solor. But, our little secret is blown. It's worth it, though. We can handle whatever the team throws at us with our heads held high. I'll handle the parts that you would not have the answers to. Malchior is indeed as dangerous as whatever was told about him to you. Time to face the music.

"Hang onto the book. I don't know what you'll do with it, but, I know you'll get it back to Lair somehow or some other safe place. I can't just take it to Lair myself or I would offer."

They headed to Ops to await whatever the rest of the Teen Titans would want to do when they found out the truth.

It did not take long for the others to arrive and they all sat down.

"What is going on?" Robin asked...more like demanded, "We could hear Solor's yelling through the building and now she says you're about to tell us the truth? What have you both been hiding?"

Both Solor and Edward sighed. Solor replied, "My name is Filkiin, or in the human language, Starborn. You have probably suspected that there's a difference between my people and everyone else here. Tell me... what is the most well known creature from your fairy tales? What creature is known for flying high and casting shadows on the ground the size of large buildings? What can breathe fire, and has scales as strong as diamonds?" Edward had to keep his jaw from dropping...It was almost the same speech that Starborn from the crossover universe used!

"A dragon?" Beast Boy asked, showing a sudden spark of intelligence.

"Yes," Edward said, "A dragon."

"Are you both saying that you're DRAGONS?!" Cyborg exclaimed.

Solor and Edward nodded, "That's exactly what we're saying." Edward allowed Solor to continue.

"Dragons are real, my friends. We have walked this earth for millions of years, even before the age of the Dinosaurs," Solor explained, "I am 749 years old. The part about me being exiled from my home is true. I made a mistake and am paying a heavy price for it."

"And, what about you, Edward?" Robin challenged.

"I am about 3,000 years old, Titans," he said, "I was born in the land of Solor's birth, a place called Lair, a place that shall remain secret, for the safety of all. Raven sensed a little bit earlier that we're both far older than you think."

"How can you be 3,000? You do not look much older than 30?" Cyborg asked.

"Dragons are very long lived," Solor replied, "Most dragons live to be nearly 2,000 years old, give or take a century."

"That only tell us that you're not that old, relatively speaking," Robin said, "Cyborg asked Edward why he's so old."

"Because I have the gift of immortality," Edward replied honestly, "I tend to heal very quickly from most injuries and even those that are fatal to others, I recover from. Due to my morphing ability, I can look various ages, though."

"Prove it," Terra said.

"Solor," Edward requested, "hit me with one of your claws, enough to draw blood, doesn't matter how deep."

Solor actually relished the thought because he wanted to pay back Edward for earlier as he suspected Edward put Robin up to asking Starfire out. So, he formed a talon and striking quickly, slashed Edward's left arm deeply. Edward bit back a snarl and held his arm up. It took a minute, but, the wound closed and healed before the Titans eyes.

"Friends," Solor said, "The world out there doesn't know about the existence of dragons, and, it's best for everyone, dragon and mankind alike, that this information doesn't leave this tower."

"Why should we trust you now? You've hidden this from us since day one!" Robin said, "Give me a reason why I shouldn't throw both of you out and tell the world about you."

Edward replied, "Because for the last 2 years or more, you have already earned Solor's trust. You have place your lives into his trust countless times in various missions. You've angered him to the point he left how many times? Twice? Three times? Once was when you, Robin, jumped to conclusions about Solor and Jinx. You thought that they were planning a heist together when they were out on the town and happened to run into each other. They both decided to set differences aside. Yet, you're doing the same thing now that you did then. You are looking for a reason to not trust Solor. His being a dragon should not matter. He's learned to trust the people in the room. My being a dragon didn't matter to my universes' Titans and I was able to tell them right off the bat. I knew when I arrived that I couldn't just show up on your door, tell you who and what I am and expect to be welcomed with open arms, communicator or not. Johnny was a lucky stroke for me. You tell the world about dragons and no one else will trust the Titans, including the Justice League! They will want to do one of two things...destroy the species or study it before determining that dragons are a threat. Most dragons are not a threat to humanity. Everyone will lose. Darkness will extinguish the Light."

Solor sighed, looking down. "I understand if you do not wish to trust me anymore. I kept it a secret because it is my duty to my species to keep us a secret. But as I learned the things I do, about humans and about you all... I felt ashamed for keeping the secret from you all. And I could not tell you, for fear of losing all of you. You all... are my family now. I would die for each and every one of you, even if you do drive me crazy sometimes." He smiled lightly. "I do not regret a single moment that I've spent with you all. From Beast Boy and Cyborg's arguments about meat and tofu, to Terra and Starfire teaching me about many things I should know, and perhaps some things I don't need to know. I will always remember the first time Raven came out of her shell... and the many times I've blown Robin off after he's asked to spar with me." He chuckled a bit. "If you wish for me to leave, then I shall leave. But please... at least let Edward stay. He has kept quiet this whole time because he has been waiting for his family to find him, and didn't know how much he'd be affecting us if he spoke up. It is not his fault, and as such, I would prefer to let him stay for the time being."

Cyborg scratched his chin a bit, before slowly smiling. "Alright, dawg, but only if YOU stay as well."

That threw Solor for a surprise. "W-What? R-Really?"

Beast Boy smiled. "Yeah, dude. You're still the same guy, we just know more about you now."

"If it weren't for you, who knows where I'd be right now?" Terra said, shivering a bit. "If it'll pay you back for teaching me how to control my powers, then I'd rather you stay."

Raven smiled a tiny bit. "Meditation means a bit more if there's someone to share it with."

The only ones who hadn't spoken up were Robin and Starfire. Of course, the Tamaranian didn't say anything, opting instead to pull Solor into a hug. The message was clear; she didn't want him to leave.

Robin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I have to admit, Solor... out of all the secrets you could have been keeping, this probably isn't the worst I imagined." He smiled next. "I don't care who you are... or why you kept that a secret. If you don't ever get a chance to go back home... I think we'd all like it if you stayed with us."

Solor had to admit, he wasn't expecting that. He slowly smiled, and felt himself shed a tear unwillingly. He quickly wiped it away, but the others got a good look.

"I think he's crying!" Terra pointed out, causing Solor to turn bright red.

"I am not! I just got some of Kreinyol's hair in my eye!" he retorted.

"Makes me wonder what other kind of secrets big, bad Solor has been hiding", Beast Boy teased.

Raven couldn't help but get a jab in there. "I bet he's ticklish."

"I am not!" Solor roared back. "Just because I admit I like being with you guys doesn't mean I gave you permission to make up lies about me!"

The rest of the team just laughed, and Edward couldn't help but smile at both the scene, and the humor he found in Solor's previous statements.

In fact, Edward knew better, but, opted to not say anything else. He was relieved that Solor had not been asked to leave, and, even defended him quite well.

"I am curious," Raven said, "How did you know about the book?"

"Well, Raven," Edward said, "You and my Raven are on the same telepathic wavelength, I'm afraid. Your emotions started to leak through into my mind and that conformed to me where I am in your history. And, I hate to tell you this. Malchior is the dragon in the book, not Rorek. In my Titans' history, he fully managed to con you into letting him out. As he was released, My Raven realized that she was tricked. The Teen Titans battled on the roof of the tower and defeated them all except for one angry, brokenhearted Raven. She had learned the curse that bound him to the book in Solor's possession and used it again. In fact, your emotions and my wife's were very close. I asked Solor if he knew Malchior and he almost broke down my door to get to you. I assure you, dear Raven, Malchior would have been quite dangerous.

"Would you walk down to your room with me, though? I won't go in, though."

They got up and headed for Raven's room.

"Raven," Edward said gently, "I know how alone you feel here and that not very well understood. My Rachael was exactly the same as you, down to how I know your room is on the inside. But, you are not alone. You have a family here who will see to that. And, they understand you a lot more than you realize. You might be creepy at times, but, that makes you very unique. I know you're heartbroken right now. That wound will heal. So will the sense of betrayal you feel to some degree."

"He tricked me, though," Raven said.

"Not as bad as with my Raven, though," Edward said. After a moment, he said, "I want to show you a memory on something that happened there that hopefully doesn't happen here."

He put his fingers gently on her face and she did the same with Edward. Both their eyes started to glow and Edward showed her what happened when Malchior returned.

When they finished, all she could say is, "Wow, no wonder Solor was so insistent."

But before they could continue, Edward got hit with a stankball!

Edward said, "You're so mine! Azarath metrion zinthos!" He used his powers to pick up the stankball and flung it back at Cyborg.

"Now, Edward, can't we … OOOOFFFF!" Cyborg went flying for a few steps, face covered in stank.

"Heh heh heh!" Raven chuckled.

"Since when do you have Raven's powers?" Beast Boy asked, after picking his jaw up.

"One of Raven's counterparts gifted me with her powers," Edward said, chuckling as he help Cyborg to his feet.

"Man," Cyborg groused, "why didn't you tell us that earlier?"

"Because I was waiting for the right time to spring that on ya, dawg," Edward said, chuckling, "I might be 3,000 years old, but, I enjoy a good prank once in a while.

"And, boys...don't even think of setting up the Insta-Lube 9000 to hit me with an oil bomb or something similar. I can hear the device being sprung and my reflexes are quite good.

"Put it this way: Prank me and I'll try to prank you back before my family is able to locate me."

Edward headed off to his room and ran into Solor, "Something I need to tell you real quick."

"What is that?" Solor asked.

"Start using your scales more, even here," Edward said in a whisper, "At least smaller scales. You are quite ticklish and that is probably your only physical weakness. Starborn learned the hard way when the entire team learned of that by accident. It got to the point that Starborn and Soskrein had Raven open a Tear to my universe, just to get a break for a day."

At the thought of his god-daughter, though, Edward's emotions came crashing back and even Solor noticed.

"You miss them all," he said, "I know how you feel, Edward. To be torn from those you love and not sure what will happen. You know that at some point, they will open a Tear and you'll get to go home. I don't even have that to look forward to right now."

Edward nodded and said, "Forgive me. I need to be alone to meditate for a while."

"It's all right," Solor said, "You don't need ask forgiveness, for you have not offended me. Go and meditate. It's a beautiful afternoon go sit on the roof, or the shoreline and meditate."

Edward nodded and headed for "Terra's spot". He sat there, listening to the waves crashing onto the shoreline and closed his eyes.

His breathing slowed as he chanted Raven's mantra, allowing himself to meditate on the good things that were happening, even here.

He was meditating so deeply he didn't notice a violet and purple clad empath floating down to join him, nor an orange skinned, red haired alien with a heart of gold. Both Starfire and Raven had seen Edward by the rocks and both had the same idea.

And, so they meditated together.

**[Crossover Universe]**

After a few days and opening a series of Tears, and the group wasn't any closer to finding Edward. It took many attempts, and needless to say, Rachael was getting very impatient. She loved her god-daughter, bless her little heart, but she missed her husband so. It was to the point that when Soskrein would begin sensing, Solor escorted Rachael out of the room. "I know you miss him. We all do. But we can't rush Soskrein if we are to find him. She needs to be absolutely sure if she can sense him or not, and you badgering her is not helping."

Finally, Solor got an idea. He called a meeting together, and soon, everyone, even little Soskrein, was in the ops center, sitting on the massive couch.

"As you all know, we are working very hard on finding Edward. And while we have had little success, a statement from our youngest family member has got me thinking. She said, and I quote, 'This would be a lot easier if I could focus on what I felt that day and open the tear myself.' Well... as much as I hate to admit it... that may be our only option", Solor said.

Robin immediately looked alarmed. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked. "You want to teach Soskrein how to open a Tear of Oblivion when her powers have just awakened?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures", Solor responded. "I don't like the idea of it either, but if Soskrein can focus on what she felt and open a Tear on her own, or with assistance, she may be able to open the right one and we can find Edward much quicker."

"Absolutely not!" Vilea denied. "I will not have my daughter learning such a powerful spell! Suppose she casts it wrong, and she gets sucked into another universe? Then we will have to save both Edward and Soskrein! No, I forbid it!"

"It is a necessary risk!" Solor countered. "Soskrein is the only one who knows what this universe feels like! I'm not saying we have to teach her how to open one by herself, just give her the basic tools, and assist her!" He turned to Raven and Rachael. "Perhaps, if she could work on her powers and learn to enter anothers mind, and with permission, be allowed to access much stronger magic, she may be able to find her godfather and bring him home that much quicker!"

"And you're asking a kid to do this!" Cyborg argued. "Not just any kid, but Susie, the best thing that ever happened to this damn team! I'm not willing to give up my niece because of a one in a million chance that it could work!"

Many more members of the Teen Titans and the Titans voiced their opinions, mostly against this ludicrous idea. Susie watched in despair as they argued, and could feel her own sadness overflowing. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and she let out a loud shout. "STOP FIGHTING!" she screamed. When everyone was quiet, and giving her their full attention, she started to speak.

"I don't like this idea", she said bluntly. "I mean... if I learn to cast the spell, and make a mistake, I might not be able to keep it from sucking up someone else that I care about. I love all of you, and it would hurt so much if I lost you. But..." She steeled her gaze. "I love Uncle Edward just as much. If there is a tiny chance this could work... even if it's one in a million, like Uncle Cyborg said... then it's worth risking. I will need help... but I want to do this. Please... this is our best shot. Please, teach me how to cast the spell. I can't help but feel part of this is my fault. I want to make it right."

Solor spoke up first, after a few moments of silence. "It's not your fault, Soskrein. It was never your fault." He walked over, giving her a tight hug. "I understand how you feel, though. To lose someone you care about very much... to be willing to do whatever it takes to save them. Remember when we went to the forest, and you got lost?"

Soskrein smiled a bit. "You ripped down twenty trees trying to find me."

"Exactly", Solor said, smiling. "I may have destroyed a lot of lumber, but I would do anything to make sure you were safe and back at home. I love you, Soskrein. I love everyone that I consider my family. So... if you really want to do this, then I will teach you how to cast the spell."

"As shall I", spoke up Sol. "It may be very early, but you are developing very quickly. You may be able to handle this, even if you are only one year old. You may become the most powerful dragon the Circle has ever seen, and if we are to deny you the tools to aid you, then we wouldn't be very good at our job, now would we?"

"I'll help, too", Raven said. "Over the years of connecting Edward's universe with our own, I think I've mastered the art. We'll work together on this one."

Soskrein smiled happily. "Then we should get started right away."

Vilea looked on and sighed, "Then, I will help as well. It goes against my instincts. But, I will not deny Soskrein the chance to help rescue her uncle."

"How do we prevent Susie from being sucked in, though?" Nightwing asked.

"Good question," Robin replied, "Could we somehow anchor her down? That way, if the Tear does act as a vacuum, it won't take her right away?"

"No," Sol said, "There are two types of tears basically and you've been through the ones that are mere portals between places and universes and that is because the spell caster is able to place in their mind where they need to be. The second is the dangerous one. Without an idea where the person needs to be sent, it will suck the target in and spit them out randomly. It could be sometime in the future or another universe. In rare cases, like Edward's mother, both may result.

"In the second instance, we would have to ensure that somehow Soskrein is able to get out of the way and the Tear may collapse. But, from what Solor said, the suction was threatening to pull several humans in as well and forced Edward to protect them by letting go. Once he entered the tear, the end on this universe collapsed."

"The thing is that Soskrein couldn't sense Edward at all," Rachael said, "And I couldn't either. Some of these random Tears had different versions of some of the team, none of the team members at all, but, no Solor either. And that's the problem. Can Soskrein home in on Solor's echo with him here in the room.

"For that matter, can she pick up on Grand Light's echo?"

"I haven't felt Grandpa either," Soskrein said, "I would know what his feels like, I hope."

"Ok," Solor said, "I think we need everyone else to leave that doesn't know how to cast the Tear of Oblivion. Rachael, forgive me. That means you as well. Edward would not be willing to forgive any of us should baby Callisto be put into harm's way. I know you want to be here when we find him, and I think that when he does come through, you'll know anyway."

"I'm staying," Kreinyol said in a tone that to Solor sounded like a direct order from the Princess of Tamaran and a tone not to be ignored.

Solor nodded, "All right. I know better than to question that tone of voice."

Everyone who couldn't cast the spell, save for Kreinyol, was soon out of the ops center. Sol sat down near Soskrein, with Vilea on his left, and Raven on his right. "Alright, my dear. We'll begin your lesson. Remember, Soskrein, that with this spell, you will not be able to use it whenever you like. You will only be allowed to use this spell to transport yourself, or should you be given permission, to carry out punishment for a prisoner or criminal. Opening a Tear without permission will result in severe punishment in the eyes of the Circle. Do you understand?"

Soskrein nodded. "I only want to know how to cast it to save Edward. After we're done, I promise I won't use it without permission."

"Alright", Sol said. "Then we shall begin the lesson. It may take a few days before you can cast the spell with our assistance, and once it's all done, we will work together to save Edward."

Raven smiled lovingly. "I'll help you with your training. As you will be most likely using me to cast the spell, you might want to work on your possession skills as well. We'll see how you're doing in time." She crossed her legs. "In order to master that first, though, we will have to work on meditating. I know you have the basics down, Susie, but if we work on this together, we should be ready to attempt the spell in maybe two days time. You've been working very hard, and I'm sure it will all pay off."

Solor smiled a bit as well. "Everyone, we're going to work on this together. And with the First on our side, we will find Edward. Please... let us all meditate with Soskrein. With our example, she will find her way to master her newly awakened powers."

Everyone nodded, and soon there was a circle of Titans, all beginning to chant.

_Don't worry, Uncle Edward_, Soskrein thought as she chanted. _I'm gonna bring you home!_


	7. Three Weeks Later

**Chapter 7**  
**[Several weeks later - Solor's Universe]**

Edward had resigned himself to a longer stay than he had hoped for as the days turned to weeks and his concern was mounting. Time flowed differently in Solor's home universe compared to his own universe. Had he missed the birth of his daughter? How was Rachael holding up? Well, the second question, Edward already knew the answer. She had the moral and emotional support from two teams of Teen Titans. His mother would be frantic, though. It turned out that her effort to find him actually did throw her forward in time as well as Edward's home universe. She had recovered a fair amount of her own strength, which made Edward happy. But, she couldn't fully let go of her dislike of most humans. She didn't mind Edward's extended family. She adored her grandson and it didn't bother her that Edward was Soskrein's god-daughter/adopted Uncle.

But, the problem is that while Edward and Solor had started to get along after a few missteps, it was clear that he was following through on his decision to not seek a long term relationship with Starfire.

That Edward was there helped when Kardiak tried again to kidnap some kids and this time, he was more successful for a few moments. In his hybrid form, he was able to duck and dodge the tentacles in hand to hand combat, something that at the time, Solor was not proficient in doing. Edward had borrowed a collapsible bo staff from Robin and proved that he was quite good at that during the fight.

"You should have stayed broken," Edward said, "This time, I shall insure it." The child had been rescued and Edward's eyes glowed red as he grabbed whatever Kardiak was and took to the air. There was a flash of light as Edward teleported Kardiak far away from where there were any children to kidnap: The North Pole.

Edward dropped Kardiak there and allowed himself to go to his full dragon and snarled, "Show up in Jump City again, and the Titans will not hesitate to destroy you."

If anyone was listening, they would have sworn they heard thunder. Edward made Kardiak ride the lightning, shorting out the nanobots.

"Damn robot," Edward snarled before encasing it in a thick layer of ice that would not be melting anytime soon. He returned to his hybrid form and returned to the Tower to warm up.

But, since there, there were several minor missions. That allowed Edward to start training Solor in hand to hand combat.

There were also the needed all-team training days and since Edward, Solor and Starfire were the strongest, they would spar against each other. Edward started Solor with the simple defensive moves and once he had mastered being able to throw Edward, they moved onto offensive attacks. Solor was a relatively quick study when he wasn't clouded by his anger. And, Edward shied away from the trash talk. Starfire would watch the two dragons sparring and sometimes was invited to take part, to give each dragon a change in the routine. Some days, she assisted Edward, others, she'd side with Solor.

Robin, for his part, offered to show Solor some martial arts and would take over Solor's training when Edward was finally rescued anyway. That meant that there were several training sessions where Edward would stipulate no use of powers and to keep the strength at a more human level. Although Solor was not a big fan of these fights, he did enjoy learning new moves. So, he was willing to pull his punches.

Also, Solor had taken Edward's advice and without explaining it to the others, started walking around with his scales more often. They weren't always visible, but, they added a deeper bronze look making him look pretty buffed and tanned. It even caught Raven's eye and she mentioned it to Edward.

"Edward," she asked, "Tell me straight: is Solor ticklish?"

"You noticed he's deployed smaller scales, huh?" Edward responded, "I can trust you not to tell the others, correct?"

Of course," Raven said in her classic monotone.

"Solor is extremely ticklish," Edward said. He didn't have to say more, though.

"Heh heh heh!" she chuckled, "I wonder if I can use that to take Solor down a peg or two."

"Not until after my rescue," Edward requested, "I do not need an annoyed or angry Solor deciding to put the pieces together. He was already slightly annoyed when Robin asked Starfire out and, I suspect he figured out that I encouraged Robin to ask. He took a little too much pleasure in injuring me."

"I heard that", Solor said, smirking as he walked around the corner. "And yes, it didn't take much for me to put two and two together." He walked over, his eyes glaring playfully. "And Raven, if you do that, you can forget about me ever deflecting Kreinyol from taking you to the mall or Beast Boy from playing another stupid prank on you."

Raven's smirk dropped, and she glared back. "You wouldn't dare."

"Tickle me, and it will be the last mistake you make against me", Solor said. "I may not be aware of how sensitive I am, but I'm not taking any chances." He turned to Edward. "Anyway, Robin sent me to collect the two of you. We're going to go get pizza, and we were wondering if you would join us, or if you want to stay here." So far, Edward hadn't been in the mood to cook, so the rest of the team didn't get a chance to taste his culinary prowess.

[And I was gonna tell you how to set up BB's Insta-lube 9000 to get Solor,] Edward said via the temporary link. Raven had relented and allowed Edward to maintain it. It was probably the only thing keeping the elder dragon from going nuts.

[Ohh?] Raven said, [That would be worth it, if we can keep Solor from figuring out who gave me the directions. He might blame BB for it, except BB doesn't have the know how to rig it up other than when he got Solor before. Starfire, even though she wasn't hit, was livid!]

[I know. Cyborg was the target, but, Solor intercepted the balloon intentionally,] Edward said, [Back home, Starfire got hit instead and from what your counterpart told me, she was absolutely livid. It took the encounter with Thunder and Lightning to teach him a hard lesson...and then, Starfire forgave him.]

"Well," Solor said, "Robin's not going to wait all night."

Edward decided to be a gentleman and extended an arm to Raven, "Shall we, my friend?"

Raven looked at him like he was crazy, but, relented after a moment, "Just keep it as friends, buster."

"I know, Raven," Edward said, "My heart is with my Raven, and, even though you are her twin, I know that I must keep things as strictly friends."

They headed for the T-car and Edward realized that he's have to adjust to give everyone else some room, so, he morphed to a cat and was surprised when Starfire grabbed him up and said, "Friend Edward shall sit with me."

Edward merely purred. He didn't mind as long as Solor was OK with it.

"He is doing the purring!" Starfire said happily.

Solor chuckled a bit. "All dragons who take the forms of animals can do whatever the animal can do. It's sort of like a muscle memory thing." He then mock glared at Edward. "Just keep your paws to yourself, buster."

Edward "Meowed" and stuck out his tongue before purring some more.

Beast Boy commented, "At least Edward doesn't stay emerald green. He'd be great for an undercover mission or a disguise."

Edward flicked his tail in response in a rude gesture.

"Since when do cats know how to flip the bird?" Beast Boy griped.

[He should be glad I don't want to moon him,] he said to Raven.

"Don't push your luck," she said aloud, "lest you get mooned." That got a laugh out of everyone, except Starfire who didn't know the reference.

"Please," she asked, "what is 'mooned'? Isn't it the body that orbits the Earth?"

Solor leaned over and explained it to her, getting a sudden bright pink color.

They arrived as the laughter died down and as soon as it was feasible, Edward let himself be carried into the Men's room by Robin, who was able to hide Edward under his cape. Edward jumped out of his hiding place and resumed his normal form.

"Thanks, man," Edward said.

"Not a problem!" Robin replied as they went upstairs to the balcony and ordered their drinks. Edward opted for a large Pepsi and as he was drinking it several minutes later, he said, "I think it's about time that I started doing something outside of missions to earn my keep around the Tower."

"And what would that be?" Robin asked.

"In my universe," Edward explained, "I ended up cooking for the team and, well, I'm quite good at it. It solved the meat-Vegetarian fighting, for one."

"How did you manage that?" Cyborg asked.

"It was easy," Edward replied, "I would make two versions of what I was cooking. For example, with spaghetti sauce, I would do a meaty one for most of you and I'd remove some for Beast Boy and others on the team that are vegetarians before throwing in any meaty items. I can't go into detail on future members of the team, though. That pesky predestination paradox could come into play here."

"Is it as good as my triple meat sauce?" Cyborg challenged.

Edward's eyes narrowed, "You bet your shiny metal ass it is. Maybe better."

That set off a round of friendly bantering and setting up a cook-off for the next day or two.

The various pizzas arrived and the gang all dug in to enjoy the day.

After they finished the meal, complete with the usual bickering over who gets the last slice (Terra got it), they headed home.

That was until the T-Car got knocked off the road by a purple goo! Plasmus had somehow been awakened and attacked the Teen Titans by surprise.

The T-car spun out and slammed into a building.

The team was seriously stunned, except for the two dragons. Edward and Solor looked at the remains of the car and then looked at Plasmus.

They both assumed their hybrid battle forms and managed to get out of the T-Car.

"Plasmus is mine!" Solor said as he saw his best friend with stars over her head.

"Hit him with a flame burst," Edward said, "That slime is flammable."

Solor did just that and, sure enough, Plasmus burst into flame and panicked. That didn't last long, though as Edward iced Plasmus over, putting the flames out and knocking the poor kid out as well in the process. Edward waited a few seconds to be sure and then freed the teenager. He'd be out for a long time.

"Nice," Solor said, "I will have to remember that one."

"Thanks for not losing your cool," Edward complimented, "The others will be fine, but, Cyborg..."

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BABY?!" Cyborg roared as he came to and saw the damage to the T-Car.

"Plasmus happened, man," Edward said, "Solor and I already took him down."

"Is that why the air reeks?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah. Plasmus should remember that he's easily set alight next time," Solor said, "The kid is fine, though, just sleeping like a baby."

The T-car was in no shape to drive, though.

The JCPD showed up and after a few questions, they packaged the teenager up and hauled him back to his cell, which in his case, meant back on the sedation that kept the Plasmus aspect out of the picture.

By then, the others had recovered and realized that the T-Car needed some repair work done.

Edward and Cyborg pulled the T-Car out of the building it crashed into and after examining the damage, decided that the folks who were fliers should head back to the Tower.

"It'll need extensive repair work," Cyborg said, "How do we get it back to the Tower?"

"Normally, I'd carry it back," Edward said, "Not really an option here, so, time to call a tow truck."

"Good idea," Cyborg said, pulling up his smartphone program and dialing. A few minutes later he was assured that a tow truck was coming.

They waited until the tow truck arrived and the T-Car was hooked up. Cyborg got in the truck as Solor and Edward would have to fly back. They didn't mind, though. It was a nice southern California day anyway so as they took to the skies to fly cover over the T-Car, Edward suggested that he take the high cover and Solor agreed to take low cover. It was mainly due to Edward's primary range weapon being lightning.

But, the trip back to the tower was uneventful and 20 minutes later, the T-Car was in the garage. Cyborg would only allow Raven to help him rebuild it, a task she actually loved to do! That got a smile out of both dragons as they started working on fixing the damage.

Edward and Solor found Beast Boy trying to sneak over to the garage.

"Beast Boy," Edward said glaring, "Lest I teleport you a good 50 miles from here and make you fly back under your own power...leave Cy and Raven alone. I'm serious, man."

Beast Boy's ears drooped hearing that one.

"Man, I could have helped!" he griped, only to see a bronzed arm picking him up. He gulped seeing Solor as the owner of said arm.

"OK, I get the hint!" Beast Boy said in a hurry, seeing how both Dragons were united.

"Let him go, Solor," Edward said, "We'll stand guard over the garage. Beast Boy here knows that I shall be happy to keep my word...and if that happens, he won't like the various pranks that await him upon his return."

Solor let the changeling go and Beast Boy scampered away as a green cat. Edward morphed into a nasty, mean looking bulldog and gave chase, getting Solor to not just smile, but, break out laughing.

It got even funnier when Starfire came across the scene and Beast Boy stopped to give her the "Face". She, of course, picked him up as Edward arrived, barking in mock anger.

"Friend Edward," she said, "Why are you doing the chasing of Friend Beast Boy?"

Edward morphed back and replied, "Just making sure he doesn't decide to try to bother Cyborg and Raven as they fix the T-Car."

Starfire mock glared at Beast Boy and said, "He does and he will be a clorbag valblernelk once more."

She set Beast Boy down and he morphed back, "OK! You guys win! I don't like being called a clorbag whatever...Last time, was plenty."

He headed off for his room.

"Man, I'm glad Terra got him to clean up his act," Edward said, noticing the lack of particular offensive smells from Beast Boy's room.

"We are too," Starfire said smiling.

"Those two are the same in all the universes I've been to," Edward said, "But, Solor taking on Terra's lack of control saved you guys a big problem later on, and saved her life in the process."

"What happened to Friend Terra in your home?" Starfire asked, "I know you told us of some things that happened, but, you hinted at more?"

"Kori," Edward said, switching over to Tamararian, "Slade had total control over her. Mind, body and soul. He did teach her control over her powers and manipulated her into giving up her virginity willingly. You must never tell the Terra of this universe that. What matters to my teammates is that they are happily married now. Beast Boy from my universe knows and he is such a gentle, forgiving soul that when she told him and started crying, he did what you would do. Pulled her into a hug and told her that he forgave her. I like to think that in all these universes, you, Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, taught him that."

At first, her expression was one of utter rage at Slade, but, as Edward praised her at the end, even using her title, she smiled and blushed. She gave Edward a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Now," Solor said walking up, "What did I tell you, Edward?" He wasn't angry, though and the glimmer in his eyes gave that away.

Before Edward could say anything, Solor smiled, "I know you two have become fast friends. I am not jealous. Besides, I have a feeling that if Edward's mate senses that he's being unfaithful … he might want to hide here for a few decades till his Raven cooled off."

"You know Raven all too well," Edward said with a chuckle, "Regardless of universe, she is still the same. Even though in my world, Raven is out of her shell and in the middle universe, she's getting there. The constant if that when she's good and angry, her half-demon side takes control. Then, it even takes an effort for me to get her to calm to the point that she reverts back to normal. I would suggest to her that here, whenever Dr. Light shows his face, she allows Rage to emerge, even for a moment or two. He's so frightened of her, being in jail is a safer place."

Both Solor and Starfire thought back to their first encounter with the light obsessed doctor and chuckled. Raven scared him so badly that he ended up seeking therapy in prison, claiming that the horrors Raven's demon side showed him were unspeakable visions of Hell itself, where his soul was slowly devoured by a demon with deep red skin, antlers and SIX glowing eyes.

"That was rather amusing", Solor said, chuckling a bit, "even if a bit too Dark for my tastes. He should be glad he's never met my father before he became the leader of Light."

At that, Starfire turned to Solor. "Your father has a position of power, friend Solor?"

Solor nodded, recalling some painful memories. Normally, he would have clamped up, but with his recent mourning, he had managed to get a lot of negative emotions out of his system, and he was able to willingly talk about it. "Yes, my father is called the Grand Light, as he is the leader of the Light Dragons, my clan. Before he took that position, he was the high inquisitor for our clan, and many of his skills, he passed down to me. I do not know how he can cause so much intimidation, though. One moment, he is calm, and suddenly, out of nowhere, he can cause an entire room to feel like something's about to explode, it gets so tense." He sighed. "Of course, he probably has not forgiven me for what I've said and done. If he did, he would have come for me by now."

Starfire frowned. "He does not sound like a k'norfka."

"I wouldn't say he was", Solor admitted. "My mother raised me for the most part by herself. He would teach me to fight, and to control my powers. I was being trained to take over for the Grand Light in a few hundred years when I was banished, but when it came to things that didn't involve the Circle, he was pretty much anywhere but where I needed him." Solor chuckled a bit. "It does not mean he did not care for me. Out of all of his clan, he chose me to be his Heir. He could tell I was going to be strong, and just. Even if my methods are a bit unorthodox, I fight in the name of Light and justice. But... even justice can be blinded by anger." He turned to Edward. "I suppose you already know about all of this, seeing as you know me very well in the middle universe."

"I do," Edward said, "But, I also know that, at least there, the Grand Light did forgive you. It took something that required my intervention to help fix. I'm not sure if I should tell you what happened, though. It wasn't pretty. In the end, there was a good outcome, but, the price was very high, especially for the Starborn I know. This universe's history is similar in many ways, yet, quite different. I'll admit, it took me a while to adjust, friends."

"It is the OK," Starfire said with a smile, "You've done the adjusting quite well."

Solor nodded in agreement, "I'll admit, there were a few miscues, Edward. But, you've recovered pretty well. Enough that, I've felt comfortable in accepting your friendship for a while now."

Edward switched to the Dragon language, "If you are curious as to what happened and the differences, I'll tell you. But, you may not like what you hear. I've only told you a little of what happened for a reason. But, now, I think you'll be OK with it."

"Your room or mine?" Solor asked.

"Doesn't matter," Edward replied.

Solor thought about it and replied, "Your room."

"Excuse us," Edward said, "I need to talk to friend Solor privately." Starfire nodded and floated away.

They headed towards Edward's room and went in.

"Ok," Solor said, "Spill it. Whatever you've got, I can deal with it."

"First thing's first, Solor," Edward said with a smile, "Would you like something to drink? This could take a while and doesn't leave this room." He got himself some Pepsi and Solor opted for some bottled water.

Edward sat down and said, "I know that you've been wondering about what differences there are between you and the Starborn I know. Also, things that are a lot different between the Lair I know, the Circle I know, and Grand Light. I will not try to convince you to change your mind on any decisions you have made, though. So, do not concern yourself with that. Your path is your own to forge.

"I suppose I'll start at the beginning. As you may be aware, the same Tear that Raven cast when she was possessed split you and Starborn somehow. That's no longer relevant to me.

"When Starborn arrived, like I said before, he was livid and exactly how you are today. It took a while for him to calm down and even after the sparring incident, Starborn was still angry at the whole situation.

"But, something else happened that no one at the two Titan Towers could have foreseen and that was the Tear reopened on its own and sucked Kreinyol in. You also know the end result of that Tear. She was also taken in by my teammates and made to feel at home."

"Now, one of the biggest differences in the universes is that I helped get Robin and the native Starfire … I'll call her Kori here … to hook up and got Terra and Beast Boy to hook up. That didn't take much, though. Beast Boy was conflicted. He didn't know if his heart belonged to Terra after her recovery or with Raven. My suggestion was that he already knew deep down. One would get the big sister type role and one would become his girlfriend. I had the same basic talk with Raven and while she was saddened to lose out on Beast Boy being a romantic interest, she warmed up to the more family-like role pretty quickly. The mind link between her and I didn't develop until a few weeks later.

"When Starborn and Kreinyol were wondering what they should do. Like I told you a few weeks ago, I knew that they were also dancing around their feelings. Then, during a meditation session, Starborn realized that he should act on his feelings … again, I am not going to push you one way or the other … and asked her to do one thing: Take care of his heart as he promised to take care of her."

"What did Robin do about it?" Solor asked.

"Robin had changed his name to Nightwing by then and adopted a black suit with a blue bird on it. To answer your question: Nightwing objected to it and tried to stop the relationship claiming that four couples were too many … and he wanted to protect his counterpart. Starborn would have none of it and challenged Nightwing to a fight," Edward explained.

Solor shuddered, "Starborn beat the living hell out of Nightwing?"

"Here's one of the biggest differences: Starborn did nothing. He sat down in the middle of the training area and allowed Nightwing to wear himself out. Nightwing's attack was vicious, even by my standards. Yet, Starborn did not lift a finger. After 15 minutes, Nightwing relented and allowed the relationship to proceed. But, he paid a heavy price. Kori refused to talk to him and 'demoted' him to 'Teammate Nightwing' for weeks. Kreinyol was also angry but, she was easier to get to be forgiving. The team met and decided that Nightwing would be suspended for a month from leadership. It was not an easy decision and one of the hardest things I've had to do was tell him that he was relieved of his duties as leader. We did not ask him to leave, though. Everyone on the team at one time or another had done some morally questionable things and was not asked to leave. Even Terra was welcomed back after betraying the team to Slade. That is something I am happy you prevented. She is a much happier young woman now, thanks to you.

"After you were rescued, I was able to talk to your father for a while. I know you may find it hard to believe in this universe, but, I saw that he wasn't that bad at all. He was concerned with your well-being enough that he taught the crossover Raven how to cast the Tear. that's how I knew that, at least there, Sol had people watching out for you. Again, here, I do not know one way or another and it's irrelevant for me to try to find out.

"Now, for the difficult part. A year later, Starborn was captured by Darkness. Vilea tricked Starborn into thinking that Kreinyol was ready for the mating ceremony. He fell for the deception, but, she slipped up. You see, Kreinyol at the time did not know that in your customs, you physically mark your mate. Vilea asked Starborn if she needed that marking. Starborn realized, much to his horror, that it was not his beloved girlfriend as she dropped her disguise and assumed her true, Dark Dragon form. After that, she raped Starborn. She drugged him and it only took a week or so for her to absolutely break him."

Solor snarled, "That bitch...if I ever see her, I shall do whatever it takes to end her existence."

"To continue," Edward said, "In Starborn's mind, he knew he needed help to escape that hell. When Vilea called him a Light mosquito, that's when it clicked as to WHO possessed Raven in the first place. Like I said before, Starborn was able to activate the Blessing of Light and escaped.

"But, he was still badly broken inside. Raven, bless her, tried to enter his mind, only to be tossed out. That's when Sol was summoned and after realizing that his son was raped asked Kreinyol to call me. You see, there's a communicator that Cyborg adapted to talk between universes … something I left in the crossover universe. Well she called me on the emergency channel and after talking to her and your father, my Raven and I went over there for the first time.

"Starborn was catatonic though, and it was decided to make another attempt to enter his mind. The two Ravens, Kreinyol and I went in. We met someone very near and dear to your heart regardless of the universe: Your mother's mental avatar was our guide there. We saw Lair. When Starborn was a whelp and summoned by the Circle and named the Heir. He was deeply honored, yet, concerned about how the Circle would see him.

"We saw the brood that she had. Kreinyol was overjoyed to see the first one and was deeply saddened to realize that none survived. We say the humiliating defeat as well. We saw the trial and your punishment. We saw her final moments and how your father couldn't let you grieve and you telling him to find another Heir and that you would be a solder before telling you that if you killed even a single human, he would hunt you down and kill you.

"We saw the memories of how he met the team and his initial impressions. Then, the shredded memories, torn through by huge talons. We saw how he was tricked as well, and, he didn't let us see the act of mating.

"Then, Vilea told him of the grand plans to use one of the whelps to summon a terrible demon: Raven's father! Forgive me, though, Solor, I cannot go into too much detail on him except to say that Trigon the Terrible is a name that all Dragons fear."

Solor's eyes narrowed, "You need not say more about Trigon, for he is well known to us. We will be ready should he try to be summoned here."

"Good to know," Edward said, "You'll know when the time gets close, though.

"After that, the memories faded and Starborn's inner psyche appeared and was ready to fight all of us. I had Kreinyol blast me with a starbolt to prove we were real. He stood down and finally started sobbing on Kreinyol's shoulder, asking her forgiveness. She completely forgave him. He was certainly at the weakest point in his life. But, that started the healing process as well. He exited his mind and told the team of the threat that was coming.

"Big difference time: It was vital that the Circle also be informed of the threat, so, your father invited me back to Lair and called for a meeting of the Circle. I was allowed to bend certain traditions due to my age and engaged the Circle in a long debate. When the vote was taken, the Circle declared war. Grand Earth actually destroyed that ancient volcano by standing up. In fact, the Circle, after seeing the clans of Lair in awe of my strength named me the commander-in-chief. That's when I understood that our people respect strength in the broods and in the individual dragon.

"But, I skipped something as well: After Starborn woke up, he and Sol reconciled their differences. Both forgave each other."

"That's a big difference," Solor said, eyes as hard as steel, "I am not as forgiving in this area. If my father's forgiven me, he needs to welcome me back to Lair. I'm not going to be weak and suck up."

"Solor, I understand that perfectly," Edward said, "No worries or pressure.

"The Circle decided to lift Starborn's banishment, due to the emergency. And, yes, Grand Death was not pleased at that, period. You see, they knew and 'tolerated' the relationship with Kreinyol for a while. Death simply said that Starborn was forbidden to return, period. He was overruled.

"After Darkness tried to destroy the Tower and failed due to the brand new alliance between the Dragons of Lair and the Justice League, I personally took Starborn to Lair."

"An open battle?" Solor asked.

"Yep," Edward said, "It was a nasty fight and it completely blew the Dragon's existence wide open. And, yes, the folks out there at first did not react very well. I had Robin call a press conference and it started to calm folks down. But, we also had some tough questions to answer from the President himself.

"What's interesting in is the middle of the meeting with the President, dark dragons tried to attack there. Again, they were beaten back. In both fights, I captured some dark dragons. One was, like you, a solder who only had one piece of vital information: The entrance to the Dark Lair itself."

"WHAT?" Solor nearly yelled, "No one knows where it is."

Edward smirked, "Correction: In this universe, I'm the only Light dragon with that knowledge. If it will help you return to Lair someday, I have no problem telling you: The entry is under Mt. Olympus itself."

Edward spend several more minutes telling Solor what he needed to know about the Dark Lair, just in case.

"That's a huge bargaining chip," Solor said afterwards, "It alone would change the war here."

"Only if you can get through it," Edward said, "It's likely blocked. The counterpart to my first girlfriend stumbled on it by accident. The sight of the Dark Dragons caused her mind to snap and no one bought the tales of thousands of Dragons.

"You would have to be taught how to form different animal forms, like a bat. That would give one access to the Dark Lair."

"Tell me," Solor said, "Who is raising Soskrein?"

"Starborn is raising her as a single parent officially," Edward replied, "Vilea gave him custody. However, Solor is getting a lot of help. Kreinyol is seen as Soskrein's mom and the other Titans from both universes love her to death and she returns that love many times over. Vilea is part of Soskrein's life, though. Like I mentioned before, she switched sides before Oblaan was vaporized. I told her that despite her crimes against one I consider family, I forgave her anyway. I know that in your own mind, she is insane and in this universe, I would not doubt that. Over there, though, she is slowly earning her right to be part of Lair again. Once the Circle's heirs are seated, the current Circle will ask that Vilea and all Dark Dragons that wish to be in Lair are welcomed back."

Edward had a thought, "Solor, would you like to see what Soskrein looks like? You don't have to, though."

Solor thought about is and slowly nodded, "I will admit that I am curious."

Edward morphed to a copy of Soskrein's dragon form and Solor smiled, "She's beautiful, Edward. The Bronze scales are certainly from me and the jet black underbelly is a perfect balance. Does she have a human form, yet?"

A quick morph and Susie was standing there, bronze skin and fiery red hair like Starfire's.

"No Dark features?" Solor asked.

"None," Edward said as Soskrein/Susie, "She did not want that for her hair and chose Starfire's hair color. She's still getting used to the whole morphing thing. The only thing she hasn't mastered is keeping her eyes from glowing." Edward morphed back to normal, then.

"That would seem like an issue", Solor mused. "I'm no expert in hybrid dragons, so I can't make the best calls here... but perhaps that is something her mother could teach her. It sounds more like a Dark Dragon trait than anything. Some Dark Dragons make their eyes glow in order to see better. Perhaps she needs glasses in her human form? I would not know." He then sighed. "This is quite a lot to take in, my friend. I mean... I'm a father in this other universe, and so much has happened that will not likely happen here. I can't imagine what life is like there... and yet, I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy for my counterpart."

"Starborn has a good life, Solor. He's got great friends there, and that is also a constant in all these universes. And, as he's a great father, I know that you will be one as well. And, I have a feeling that since here you have little to no interest in reclaiming your spot as Heir. you will have the time to devote to being a father.

"I'm a hybrid, remember? A mix of all the clans as my mother was desperate to have at least one egg so she mated with all 6 clans. She only laid one egg in her life: mine.

"Do I blame her for whoring herself out? I suppose in the morality department, I should be livid. But, even I cannot be angry at my mother for that. Being the first hybrid dragon was the big difference at the end of the War. The Circle gave me a portion of their powers and, that's how I know what Death feels like. When Grand Death roared, it sapped all of my immense strength. The second time, put me into a deep coma for hours.

"The Circle allowed my Raven into Lair even, realizing I would want to see her first thing, and it would reassure her that I was still alive as well. She was the first mortal allowed in Lair in centuries, according to Grand Earth.

"What still infuriates me, though about the Circle: They decided to have a sudden trial to determine not only Starborn's fate over his decision to take Kreinyol as his mate … without their blessing, but, they threw me into the mix as well. The trial almost ended up in a Traitor's Sending and they blocked my teleportation abilities by sealing in Lair. It took all my skill to get Starborn and I out of that one. Then again, he did something that not even I could see: He merely stretched out his neck and said 'I will die the death you deem necessary, Exalted Circle.' That act, I think, convinced Grand Earth to change his motion. He said that Starborn was truly worthy of being the Heir. They repealed the Breed Traitor law and pardoned dragons exiled under it. Sadly, I do not think that will happen here. That trial delayed a mission Starborn and I needed to go on.

"But, the crossover Raven explained the reason why this law, much as I hate it, was necessary: A mix of human and Dragon DNA was unpredictable, so, it was decided by the First Circle to prohibit that totally. That's one reason why, after that enchantment was removed from me why we've monitored my Raven so closely."

"I'm glad for you", Solor said, smiling. "Most dragons don't get to be with the one they love for their entire life. At least, most of the time. Sometimes they feel the attraction, but refuse to act on it because they mate that their heart yearns for is weak. I... I am glad you grew up out of Lair. You should be allowed to love whoever you wish. Even if I never end up with Kreinyol, I am glad the other me did."

"It wasn't as easy as it sounds," Edward said, "your counterpart was just as conflicted.

"Listen, in the long run, you will end up doing what you think is best. When I leave here, I likely will not be back to mentor you like I did your counterpart. I can't balance three universes, for one. Two, if Lair were to discover me advising you to ignore their laws, I would be the one responsible for a lifetime banishment of you. And I know you want to go home, back to the cave you left behind. Even as a solder, you deserve the opportunity to return. That's why I won't give any nudges one way or the other. Starborn accepted being mentored after realizing that I'm not Sol. He wanted to change for the better and we got lucky that everyone in the Circle saw that. Including Grand Death eventually. He wanted to atone for something that you will not remember."

"What is that?" Solor said.

"Solor," Edward said, "He tried to kill you with his blessing. After he defeated you, roughed you up, he took it upon himself to activate his blessing. Had Sol not heard the roaring, you would have died. Your father saved your life. At the time, he did not know what happened to cause Grand Death to want to murder you. He had already lost an entire brood. He wasn't about to lose you as well. I get that he wasn't the greatest of dads. However, he loved you enough to stop Grand Death. And, he could have voted to put you down like a rabid dog when the Circle gathered to determine your fate, right? But, he sided with banishment. Something that can be rescinded. Had Sol voted to execute you for treason, I know that my life...Raven's life would be so different. We could not have the baby that I hope hasn't been born yet. Baby Soskrein would be erased from history as well."

Edward sighed, "Solor, I would not have known my rich heritage. I may not have met my own mother. When you were banished, and when Vilea possessed Raven changed a lot of history, for you and for your counterpart."

Solor asked, "What happened with Vilea there?"

"She is earning her place in Lair," Edward said, "Starborn and Vilea are on somewhat civil terms, maybe cordial now. Maybe at some point, they will truly put grievances in the past where they belong and become friends. But, they did not go through the mating ceremony. She is not marked as Starborn's. That mark is on Kreinyol's neck, and something that she wears proudly. She's the acting Grand Darkness, but, I do not think she will be formally welcomed back for a while. There's literally millions of years of bad blood between the 6 clans and Darkness to just wipe away in the space of a few years. It may take decades or centuries for a full reconciliation to occur."

In the back of Edward's mind, he was impressed. So far, Solor had listened to the prior 30 minutes discussion with just a brief hint of his anger. He was told a lot of difficult things, including how Grand Death wanted to murder him.

Solor shook his head, "Edward...you're a miracle worker. Either that, or the centuries of immortality have scrambled your mind. Lair would be foolish to allow Darkness to return."

"The Circle is taking that objection into consideration," Edward replied, "The current members of the Circle agreed to wait and let the next generation decide. Grand Death already stepped down there. He had to, though. After Starborn and I were 'tried' for breaking that Oblivion damned Breed Traitor law, Starborn called out Grand Death for his wanting to kill. Let's just say that the others were most displeased and they wanted to expel him from their ranks. He said that after the War was over, he would resign. That was accepted. And, he did resign his seat after that. His heir is still in training, so, there hasn't been a formal 'passing of the torch' ceremony.

"But, something that you will be pleased to learn. After all that fighting was over and Oblaan was vaporized, Starborn and Grand Death patched up their relationship. Starborn apologized from the heart, and Grand Death accepted it, forgave Starborn, and officially pardoned him."

Solor smiled, "You are correct. I am pleased to hear that, indeed. The other Me was able to swallow his pride. But, how was Oblaan killed?"

Edward said, "At the end of the war, he petrified the Circle and was about to do the same to Starborn and I. Kreinyol intercepted the attack and Oblaan made fun of the fact that they were mated. Starborn proved once and for all that he … and you … are directly descended from the first Grand Light. He accessed a Primal Blessing in his rage and fired a beam of light that when it was forced down Oblaan's throat vaporized him. Starborn almost died using that. According to Sol, the only thing that saved your counterpart is that he is a great, great, great, great grandson (and probably many more generations removed) of the First of the Light. Any other dragon wouldn't have recovered. We thought that Starborn had fallen for good. I had overexerted the blessings that the Circle granted and my magical resistance was too great. I lost all of them, including the Blessing of Light. The only reason the Circle did that was because I suffered from intense backlash from my own weapons. The First allowed the backlash to be a thing of the past, though. I can fire a sustained full blast and no backlash.

"Your counterpart did take a great deal of pleasure at bitchslapping me to get me to wake up after the various blessings were given. He hit me as hard as he could and ended up hurting his own hand. It was payback, according to him."

"Payback for what?" Solor said.

"When Starborn was in the same boat I am in now, he stuck out his tongue, so, I did a Three Stooges move and made him bite his own tongue," Edward said with a chuckle at the memory.

Solor's eyes went wide as he tried to imagine that one before he laughed as well.

"Relax," Edward said, "I won't do that to you here. Actually, it was a fun night. Starborn had rigged the InstaLube 9000 to fire from the ceiling and got pink paint all over Cyborg, then, after Starborn's tongue quit hurting the team decided to go to Japan for some karaoke, via the Dragon Express. Everyone got up to sing, but, when Starborn went up to sing, another Tear of Oblivion opened to reveal Terra! The crossover Raven had been taught to cast the Tear and Terra volunteered to come through. She almost started a fight because she didn't recognize Nightwing. Starborn got her to stand down. We decided to return to the Tower and Starborn and Kreinyol packed up and went home. It cost me a few thousand dollars to repair the damage in Japan, but, it was worth every dime."

"Just how much money do you have?" Solor asked.

"Here, nothing," Edward said with a sigh, "Back home, over the 3,000 years, I've amassed a fortune. If I were to liquidate my assets, probably $4 billion or more. More than enough that paying a Japanese karaoke bar owner to repair the floor the second Terra ripped up, giving Starborn and Kreinyol some seed money for their first date and civilian attire as well as giving them $5000 to take home to their Teen Titans was literally chump change."

Solor gave this time to mull over in his head. This was quite a lot to digest, and after a few moments, he leaned back, chuckling a bit. "Sounds like you've had quite a few adventures with my counterpart... and you both are so close, it's no wonder you call him your brother. I wish I could have been part of that... or at least, part of me does. I know that can never happen now... especially if there are two of me. I would rather not confuse his daughter, and many more, with another version of me. I can think of quite a few things, though, that you may want to talk to him about, though.

"If he does take the spot of Grand Light... he may watch his daughter die. And Kreinyol may not last as long as you think, even if they are soul bound. While he will become immortal, she will not be in the true sense, and she will have to be careful about diseases and whatnot. Even if she falls in battle, he will be left with that hole in his heart for eternity. Even when he finds another to mate with, that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

"But, I am happy for him", Solor continued. "Even if it is not the life I would choose, I do not doubt he would go through it all with gusto. And hearing all of this strength that he has gathered, to recover from such harrowing times... he is the dragon I wish I could be. My only hope is that in the future, no matter how many years it takes, I will be twice the dragon he is.

"But, I think that's enough about what happened in that universe. I am a little worried about my own well being at the moment... and perhaps some of my teammates", he stated. He sighed. "Tomorrow is my hatching day. And since I will be turning 750, I will be officially an adult."

"Well, that's great news, isn't it?" Edward asked. "You'll be done growing, and you can call yourself an adult, right?"

"I don't suppose that Starborn spoke of this with you, did he?" Solor mused. "I would not be surprised... if he had confessed his love to his mate at the time, then he would not have gone through this, but... dragons go through a day of... well... heightened hormones and pheromones."

"… and what does that exactly mean to you?" Edward said, although he had a bit of an inkling.

"Well, with dragons, it means that they become painfully aware that they are ready to reproduce", Solor said bluntly. "It may have been different for you, and will probably be different for your niece, considering that you both are hybrids, but we become sexually active as soon as we reach seven hundred and fifty years. Many dragons do have the willpower to ignore their hormones... but pheromones are a completely different story. A male dragon can produce enough pheromones to drive anyone insane."

"So, you're worried that you might... smell sexy to your teammates?" Edward said, biting his lip and trying not to laugh. The sound of this was just hilarious.

"Exactly", Solor said. "However, I do have a solution. I can become completely human for the day, and once we pass midnight, it will be safe for me to become a dragon again. But if any part of my true DNA shows, even my scales or wings or tail, then I will instinctively release the pheromones. So... tomorrow, I plan on remaining human, and staying in my room."

"That might be a bit tricky", Edward commented. "What if there's a mission?"

"I will monitor through the screens, and keep an eye on the fight. If it becomes too much for the team to handle..." Solor sighed. "Well, we can cross that bridge when we get there." He got up. "I think I should head back out. I need to explain to at least Robin what will happen."

"Give yourself time, Solor," Edward said, "I have no doubt that you will also be as strong as your counterpart. I was pretty much done anyway, so, go ahead and discuss that last item with Robin. Hopefully, I can pick up the slack if you have to beg off a mission. Robin will understand, and, personally, I do not want the native Raven tossing any of us into another realm...maybe wherever the trash from the Tower ends up."

Solor nodded, heading out of the room. He needed to prepare for tomorrow.

**[Crossover Universe - Titan Tower]**

It had been three weeks since Edward was sucked into God knew where and it had taken most of that time to teach Soskrein what she needed to know. She had first needed to learn and practice her possession skills. That took a teamup of Vilea and Edward's universe Jericho to help her since both were well skilled in possession. It took a while for her to hone the skills needed to successfully possess Raven, and by extension anyone else. She was told never to possess anyone without permission or when she got older and was a formal member of the team, she could possess the bad guys only. As she only wanted to rescue Edward, she readily agreed to that restriction.

Then, she needed to learn the actual Tear of Oblivion spell and for that, she needed Raven, Vilea, Sol and Solor to teach her. Kreinyol was still the only non-spellcaster allowed to witness what was going on. In fact, she threatened to blast whoever objected through the wall at one point.

"You picked one strong willed mate, son," Sol said at one point, "Certainly one strong enough to get the respect of many dragons."

Rachael insisted on staying there, and she threatened to dump Nightwing into the trash hole if he persisted.

So, the Titans would rotate in and out when Soskrein was resting. Edward had actually added the team to his "deep pocketed" bank account a long time ago, so, the Teen Titans were not having to worry about eating the costs for Rachael being there...Nightwing had to insist that Robin take something for their troubles.

Today was Tara's turn to visit the crossover universe and she was watching the TV with her counterpart for a while. They complimented each other greatly and over the last few years had grown as close as twin sisters. It was to the point that Edward finally felt comfortable ending their sessions: Tara had fully recovered from her emotional traumas of the past. In fact, her and Beast Boy had recently gotten married. That was a simple civil ceremony as neither of them were interested in a religious ceremony. It was held in the Tower with both teams there to celebrate, and the Doom Patrol took a day off as well. They wanted Edward to marry them, but, he declined, citing that he was not qualified to do that one.

Speaking of couples getting together, Tara was overjoyed to hear that her "twin" had also gotten engaged in the last month since Edward's last visit. They had wanted to tell Edward as well, but unfortunately, he had been taken away before Beast Boy and Terra could give him the good news. However, they knew as soon as he got back, he'd be the first to know. And Solor mentioned that while he was considerably younger, he could officially marry them, since while he was training to be human before his... falling out with the species, he had been ordained as a minister before.

"How come you never mentioned this?" Robin asked, chuckling a bit. "I never pegged you as the religious type."

"I was training so I could pass as any age in a human form", Solor replied. "My cover was to be a minister in training back in the 1300s. While I'm sure I cannot use my old name for that anymore, I am technically still able to marry anyone."

"So, if you wanted to, you could perform a ceremony whenever you wanted?"

"Pretty much, yeah", Solor replied. "In fact, Beast Boy and Terra, when you both turn 18, if you still think you'll be together, I will perform the ceremony for you."

"Well, that's one more year for me, and two more for Beast Boy", Terra said, giggling a bit. "But, hey, if Tara can do it, so can I."

"No problem, dude", Beast Boy said. "I really do care about Terra. If she's willing to have me, then I'd marry her a hundred times."

"Does that mean you'd divorce her, just to marry her again?" Raven joked. "Because that's not exactly easy on the budget."

Solor chuckled a bit at the jab at her "brother", but was soon the center of attention again. "So, what other talents have you hidden from us?" Cyborg asked. "I mean, you've been around a long time. What do you know?"

Solor pressed a finger to his chin. "Well, I know thirteen different languages, the rules to seven different sports that aren't played anymore, the location to twenty supposedly extinct species... I know how to play 24 instruments, and five combat styles, most of which involve weapons."

"Really?" Robin asked, baffled. "Then how come you never wanted to spar with us before?"

"Because it wouldn't be fair", Solor said cheekily.

Kreinyol smiled at the way Solor was able to easily bond with the team now. Years ago, he was hard pressed to say "hi" to anyone without threatening to rip their head off. But ever since they had been together and with Edward's guidance, he loosened up quite a lot. It was good to see him acting so calm. Though, she did know he was trying his best to stay calm. He didn't tell anyone else, but he had admitted to her that he was quite on edge since Edward had disappeared.

"I'm afraid, my love", he had said. "If we do not find Edward... I fear that I may become the arrogant, cold dragon that I was before. We need to find him soon."

Kreinyol snapped to attention, remembering that they were supposed to continue with Soskrein soon. If their training was correct, then she should be able to cast the spell correctly now.

"Husband Solor, I think it is time we try again with Soskrein", she said. "Sol has said that her powers were coming along nicely, and that she may attempt to find him when she trains this afternoon."

Solor nodded, and turned to the rest of the team. "Alright, guys. You know the drill. Everyone but those who know how to cast the spell, Kreinyol, and Rachael need to leave."

Soskrein pouted a bit, having been playing with Beast Boy on the Gamestation, but soon she furrowed her brow. She needed to pay attention, this time. So far, she was good at possession, and getting the location of the Tear correct. If she could cast the Tear without it sucking her up now, she'd be able to use her powers to save her godfather.

"Just a little longer, Uncle Edward", she said, knowing this was going to be the trickiest part. "I'm coming to get you."


	8. Happy 750th Birthday, Solor!

**Chapter 8**  
**[Solor's universe- Titan Tower]**  
**[Next morning]**

Solor was in his room, trying not to have a reason to leave the Tower or have to shift forms from his teenager form. It was his 750th birthday and in the eyes of his people, an adult. But, also on a biology level, he was ready for mating. If he could manage to not have to use any of his dragon DNA, the better it was for everyone as his body would release pheromones that could have an interesting effect on the whole team.

He had talked to Robin after leaving Edward's room and honestly explained that he needed a 24 hour leave of absence starting at midnight because it was his birthday and that if be had to go to his hybrid form, or for that matter, displayed even a single scale, he could flood the tower with enough pheromones that it would become the Orgy Tower. Robin readily agreed to that especially when reminded that, for now, there was another Dragon on the team who could cover the slack. Solor was also hoping that Edward would not be rescued today.

For Edward's part, he had a sinking feeling that someone would try something and accidentally force Solor to use his fighting form and the result would be unpredictable. Robin had the ventilation system cranked a bit higher just in case.

So, after breakfast, Solor retreated to his room, saying, "I shall return for lunch, do not disturb me."

That got some eyebrows raised so Edward explained the problem delicately. It didn't matter, Beast Boy found that to be funny, until Terra kicked him in the shin.

"I'm not really in the mood to be manhandled by every horny guy in the building!" she said, "Or having a sudden threesome with Raven and Starfire!"

"Please, what is a 'threesome'?" Starfire asked.

"Instead of just two people involved in sex," Edward said, "There's a third person that take part, sharing in the activities."

"Hmph," Starfire said, "That does not sound like the fun. On Tamaran, it's just two. I do not want someone who is not my husband touching my g_rebnax_."

Cyborg almost burst out laughing at that, but managed to keep his cool. "Well, at least that explains why he's been a bit tense this morning. Guess he was really making sure that none of his DNA was affecting us."

Robin nodded. "Yeah, which means that right now, he can't join us. I don't know what he's going to do in his spare time, but at least he'll be able to monitor everything, and maybe give us some advice if a hard enemy shows up."

"So... Edward, did this happen when your Starborn became an adult?" Raven asked. "Is this the second time you've had to go through with this?"

"Actually, no", Edward replied. "Apparently, when a dragon chooses their mate before they become an adult, they don't produce the pheromones that they usually do. As Starborn had chosen his mate, he didn't need to go through all of that. It doesn't mean that he wasn't driven bonkers by his hormones, though. Let's just say that for a while, his temper would erupt at even a tiny threat towards the person he chose."

"Who was the lucky girl?" Beast Boy asked, although he had an inkling on who it was. "Anyone we know?"

"I can't tell you that", Edward replied. "Guys, I understand that you may be curious about this, but it's better if you just drop it. I'd rather not get anyone's hopes up."

"Aw, man!" Beast Boy complained.

Raven glared at Beast Boy and the message was clear: Drop it or get tossed out the window. Needless to say, the matter was dropped.

After breakfast was over, Edward planned on making his pasta sauce for the team, however, someone else had their own plans as the alarms started blaring and everyone ran to the Ops center to see where the problem was at.

The reports indicated something happening at the docks and it didn't take long to find out who was behind it as a communication came in.

"Greetings, Titans," a familiar deep voice said.

"Slade," Robin said, his voice icy, "What is it you want?"

"Nothing much," Slade replied, "Just the usual, an apprentice. You didn't work out, so, I had to try to find someone else. That would have been Terra, but, that freak on your team prevented that at the time. No matter. I have my sights set on someone I don't have to convince to change sides. But, I want you to meet this new apprentice in person. He'll be turned loose on Jump City to destroy it in 15 minutes, unless you all get to the docks by then. I'll be waiting." The channel closed before anyone could reply.

"Well," Robin said, "We need to hurry." Everyone raced to the garage and piled into the T-car and headed for the docks. Solor stayed back and watched as the rest of the team headed out.

"Freak, huh?" Edward griped, "Slade's in for a surprise, then. Solor's not able to defend his honor, but, I will defend it for him. NO ONE calls my friends freaks!" His eyes started glowing yellow in annoyance.

"Your anger is pointless," Raven noted, "It will only cause you to make mistakes that Slade will use against all of us."

Edward's eyes slowly reverted to normal as he got hold of his feelings.

"We're going to have to bring our best this time around", Robin said, growling a bit. "If he gets away, it means that he'll have more time to plan his next big takeover attempt, and I'd rather die than let him control this city."

"No need to tell us, man", Cyborg said. "Last time Slade attacked, Solor used that power he has over Light to scare him off. It's too bad we don't have that right now, but I know Edward will be able to do more than enough to make up for it."

With that, they rolled out, leaving their friend behind as he watched on the monitors.

"What in Oblivion are you planning, Slade?" Solor mused, getting ready for the worst.

"I've got a score to settle with Slade," Edward said, "Doesn't matter to me which Slade I settle with. I do not like what he did to Terra in my universe and he would have done the same here. Terra, be extra careful, I do not trust that slime and if he sees your defender is not here, he will make the attempt to snag you. I don't have access to Solor's Blessing of Light anymore, but, that won't matter. I still have my breath weapons. Who knows? I might just unmask him and let Solor send his photo to the press. They will have a field day with it."

"Guys, don't call for Solor unless it's absolutely needed," Robin said to remind folks.

"I can handle it," Edward replied, "Hopefully, Slade hasn't seen me, yet. That would give me a tactical advantage. But, just in case..." He altered his form to look like Solor. He'd have to use just his flame breath as using the lightning or ice would blow the cover.

"That's better," he said. Starfire whipped her head around and said, "Friend Solor?"

"No, Star," Edward said, "It's Edward. Just using the disguise, that's all."

"You look and sound like Friend Solor!" she exclaimed.

"Benefits of being a true shapeshifter," Edward said. He took a moment to send a message back to the real Solor letting him know that he will be seeing himself on the screens.

Solor raised an eyebrow before replying, "That's fine. You'll have to be convincing, though. Slade probably has a nice file on me."

"Not a problem," Edward typed back, "I've studied you and Starborn and can do the arrogant Dragon bit."

Solor chuckled and typed back, "Very funny, smart-ass. Good luck!"

They arrived at the docks and Starfire sneezed a moment later.

"Metallic chromium?" Edward asked.

"Hmm-hmm," she said.

"Dang," Robin said, "Star's allergic to the stuff."

"I'm aware of that," Edward said, "I don't like it. It's certainly a trap. How do you want to play this one, Robin?"

"Carefully," he said, "We have to spring the trap regardless. 'Solor' take point, Starfire will bring up the rear guard. We'll try not to split up, though."

As the group began to investigate the docks, Robin was constantly on the lookout. The last time they were here, Slade had managed to infect Solor with nanobots filled with hallucinogens and adrenaline to mess with his mind, and make him think he was under attack or being betrayed. Fortunately, they managed to remove the machines, but he was very ashamed by the fact that he had been played like an instrument.

Fortunately, Solor wasn't nearby, so it was very unlikely something like that would happen again. It just meant they had to be more careful, though; if Slade had anything planned for Solor, he'd possibly harm Edward instead by accident. "Raven, Cyborg... any sign of humans here?"

Cyborg shook his head. "If I could pick up his heartbeat, it's being drowned out by all of us. And I'll admit, I'm kinda worried about his new apprentice."

"He probably doesn't have one", Raven countered. "He may be coming for one of us. He tends to target one of us at a time... and I hope for his sake he doesn't try for Terra again."

Solor contacted them via communicator. Fortunately, he managed to take a hint from Edward, and changed his voice. In fact... he sounded almost exactly like the elder dragon! "Hey guys, it's me. I'm detecting a lot of hardware in the warehouse next to you, according to the scanners Cyborg has in the tower's system. More than likely, it's a lot of Slade's bots. If you go in, you might want to be ready for a fight."

Edward raised an eyebrow in amusement, but said nothing. If Slade was watching, any indication that he was not Solor would blow his cover. So he merely smirked. "Well... it's probably best we don't leave him waiting, isn't it?"

Starfire nodded, managing to hold back a sneeze. "Indeed, friend Solor. We must stop Slade, immediately."

Robin pulled out his staff, getting into a battle stance. "Titans, GO!" he ordered, kicking down the door. Just as Solor had predicted, a lot of Slade bots were on the other side, waiting for them. It looked like a few of them had something valuable in their hands, and they quickly split up, running through a few different exits on the other side.

"They have something!" Terra shouted. "Beast Boy, you and I should go after the one on the left!"

"No!" Robin said. "That's probably what Slade wants! Beast Boy, you go with Starfire! Terra, you're with me!

Beast Boy nodded, and morphed into a bull, knocking plenty of enemies out of the way before running down the exit his girlfriend had pointed to with Starfire hot on his trail

Raven turned to Cyborg and Edward. "We'll take the middle one. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" With a simple wave of her hands, she managed to collapse a couple steel beams on her blockade, and Edward and Cyborg quickly pushed through to their exit, making chase.

Robin and Terra looked at each other, and he gave a smirk. "Looks like we got the one on the right."

Terra nodded, and began using her boulders to clear a way, before grabbing Robin's hand and flying down through the door.

Solor, meanwhile, was watching everything. He gripped his chair a bit hard, and for a split second, his nails lengthened. "Damn... something's not right", he said. "If I could get a better look at what those robots were holding, then I'd be able to tell them which ones to focus on. But the view is obscured... it's like Slade knows that I'm watching..."

"Oh, but I do", Slade said suddenly. Solor looked at the screen, seeing Slade had taken it over. "I recognized that face almost immediately, freak. And I knew it wasn't you."

Solor snarled. "What do you want, you lunatic? You and I both know that Terra will never join you, and even if you did, you already have an apprentice!"

"Do I?" Slade said, smirking. "Or was that just a careful ruse to get you to let the team go and try to catch me? You should have suspected the latter, shouldn't you have? After all, you are much older than me, dragon."

Solor snarled. "Terra will never join you! You have nothing to offer!"

"I don't... but my current target is still rather close to Beast Boy, isn't she?"

It took a moment, but Solor looked at the screen again, as Slade had already cut the communications. He then realized exactly what the masked madman had said, and he felt his face go pale.

"Kreinyol..."

Back with the Titans, Starfire and Beast Boy had managed to chase their Sladebot well into the city's sewers, and while they did manage to chase it to a dead end, it soon turned, revealing what it had in its hand. Instead of what seemed to be a valuable treasure or device, it was holding a weapon similar to what had been used against Solor last time. It pointed it right at Beast Boy, and the two Titans got into a battle stance, ready to fight off the enemy.

"Now now, Titans", came the familiar, deep voice.

Slade stepped out of the shadows, his hands behind his back. "You wouldn't want to get hit by this weapon, now would you?"

"So you'd shoot us up with hallucinogens and adrenaline", Beast Boy snarled. "We'd probably be confused for a while, but the rest of the team isn't that far away. They'd come to save us in ten seconds flat."

"Actually, they're all in the same boat", Slade said. Just like that, two screens lit up behind him. One showed Robin and Terra surrounded by robots with the same weapon, and the other showed Raven, Cyborg, and Edward. "This time, the machines are... tweaked. If you so much as make a move, I will give the command for all of my robots to shoot. The nanobots will instead attack your bodies directly, taking you apart molecule by molecule."

"Well... that makes things a lot more difficult", Beast Boy admitted. "So, what do you want? Terra's not here."

"I know. She was never the target." Slade then turned to Starfire. "My target is right here."

Starfire immediately glared. "If you think I would willingly fight for you, then you-" She cut herself off when she heard the machine in the robot's hands start to warm up.

"Oh, but I think you will", Slade said. "You are a warrior, Starfire. I know that is true. Your physical strength is matched only by your caring heart. Which is why I know you will fight for me. Because if you do not... your strength won't be able to save your friends' lives."

Starfire bit her lip, pulling out her communicator. "W-We have a new ally! He is not able to be affected by your weapons!"

"You must mean the second dragon on your team", Slade said, smirking. "And that could possibly be true. Are you willing to bet his life?"

"H-how do you know about him?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"Simple; when I accessed the communications, I recognized Solor's fake immediately. I don't know where he came from, nor do I care. He's a monster, like Solor, and he will be eradicated unless you join me."

"So... I am a monster?" came a familiar voice.

At that, Slade's eye widened, before he was punched hard in the face by a bronze hand. He staggered quite a bit, before turning to see said Dragon, glaring at him. He was in his hybrid form, his eyes glowing bright green.

"You've done a lot to annoy me", Solor said. "You've tried to make me your apprentice, you called me a monster, you drugged me... I've had enough. I didn't want to do this, not today... but now I don't care. To Oblivion with the consequences." He cracked his knuckles, his body beginning to glow. "I will end this. Here and now."

"If you make another move, my robot will attack both of them", Slade said, confident that he could give his robot the command before Solor could do anything.

"Can you move faster than Light?" Solor asked, smirking. With a single shot, he had destroyed the head of the robot in less than a second. Slade felt his eye widen, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the control for the other robots. That was probably a poor choice on his part, as Solor easily destroyed that with another breath. The rest of the robots were suddenly deactivated, confusing the other Titans.

"This is going to be fun", Solor said, cracking his knuckles.

Slade never knew what hit him next. It was a combination of Starbolts, eyebeams and Solor's Blessing of Light as Beast Boy realized that maybe he needed to contact the others.

It only took a few minutes for Edward and the other Titans to race to the scene to see Solor in his hybrid form beating Slade severely. Edward returned to his own hybrid form, realizing that somehow, Slade had seen through the disguise.

"You guys stay put," he suggested, "Slade Wilson is gonna find out the meaning of pain and suffering."

Slade tried to escape the onslaught only to see that his escape was blocked.

"Friend Edward," Starfire said, "The Slade wanted to make me his apprentice...he knows about you and Friend Solor. He called you the freak and the monster."

"Well," Edward said, "That warrants some additional payback. You see, 'Deathstroke the Terminator', where I came from, you hurt Terra in ways that I find to be more monstrous than you think I am. And, for trying to force Princess Starfire of Tamaran to be your apprentice, after I'm through with you, I'll let Solor do the one thing that you are afraid of. He's gonna remove that mask of yours and we're gonna plaster your face all over the Internet. Every law enforcement agency in the world will line up to take their cracks at you. You'll never walk this world as a free man again."

Edward reared back and punched Slade as hard as he dared, sending Slade a good 50 yards before he hit the floor, only to find Edward had teleported to where Slade landed.

"That was for what you did to Terra in my world," Edward snarled, "This is for Terra here." He grabbed Slade and paintbrushed him hard.

"This is for Starfire..." More slaps.

"This is for the harm and humiliation you gave Solor the last time...to avenge his honor..." Even more hard slaps.

"And, this is for ME!" Edward roared. "Cyborg, I want this one recorded, please."

"You got it, dawg!" Cyborg said.

"Law enforcement agencies of the world, FBI, CIA, Interpol, whoever is interested. The Teen Titans have effected a Citizen's Arrest on one Slade Wilson, A/K/A Deathstroke the Terminator. Behold his true face," Edward said, "Solor of the Teen Titans, would you do the honors?"

Solor cracked his knuckles and said, "With gusto." He unmasked Slade in front of the bright light of Cyborg's camera. Luckily, Slade was already knocked out and a dead weight in Edward's arms. He never even got the chance to defend himself, the counterattack from Solor was so fast.

Cyborg got a real good closeup of Slade's face. His left eye was scarred and fused closed. The rest of his face was also battle scarred.

"A word of warning to anyone who attempts to rescue Deathstroke," Solor said, "I shall find you, wherever you are, and you will regret freeing Slade."

"That means you, Wintergreen," Edward added, "Your boss and benefactor will spend the rest of his days in the SuperMax Prison. The Teen Titans and other world powers shall see to that. Have a good day." Cyborg took the cue to cut the recording.

As Edward calmed down (he wasn't even that angry...his eyes didn't light up at all), he noticed a strange odor in the air.

"Oh, crap! Star, Raven and Terra...Leave, NOW!" Edward said, "Go back to the tower, go into your rooms and for the First's sake, try to resist the urges."

Robin's eyes widened as the three women were whisked away.

"What the HELL?!' Robin said, "I'm the team leader here...not you!"

"Calm down," Edward said, "It's Solor's pheromones, they are flooding the air here already. I can smell them, man."

Beast Boy took a deep breath and said, "Edward's right. They are very powerful. But, I do not feel an urge to..."

Robin calmed down a bit, "You mean that the girls would be affected more than us?"

"Exactly," Solor said, blushing, "They will be affected anyway and will want to … mate … with any male that they encounter."

Edward paled hearing that one, "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I am not," Solor replied.

"Guys," Edward said, "I need to stay away from Raven. Even though she's a twin to my wife, if she's fertile and somehow gets me to have sex with her, she could become pregnant. My Raven would absolutely want to send me to another dimension if she were to find out.

"Actually, we all have that problem. Starfire is driven by her emotions. She could knock any of us down and under the influence of these pheromones would attack to cure that certain itch. Terra could in the 'heat' of her passion use her powers to cement us to the very earth.

"If Raven is able to meditate, she could control her lust emoticlone."

"Solor," Robin said gently, "I appreciate the back up here, but, I need to respectfully ask you not to come back into the Tower with us tonight. We can't afford to have the girls all aroused. I'm not asking for your resignation, just that you hang out until midnight. You can even hang out at the base of the Tower, though."

"I understand, Robin," Solor said, "I shall find a place to rest until tomorrow morning. Had Slade not contacted me to let me know what his plans were, I probably would not have come out, but I couldn't let him take Starfire. I do not regret my choice."

"I will stay with Solor," Edward said, "That is if it's OK? I know you're certainly used to roughing it, so, if you wish to be alone, I'll respect that."

"I think I would prefer that," Solor said. "Thank you for the offer, though."

"Let us know where you're at, dawg," Cyborg said, "Edward's making his pasta sauce tonight and we'll save you a mega-meaty portion and drop some off. We're not letting you go hungry."

"I shall merely hunt," Solor said and getting a look of disgust from Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy," Edward said gently, "Remember what I said on the first day I was here? I'm an omnivore, Solor's a carnivore for the most part. We both require meat proteins. You're not going to go without, promise. I am used to making two batches anyway."

Slade started to groan, though and opened his one eye.

"Congrats, asshole," Edward said, "You're going to be the lead story around the world." He held up the mask and with a smirk, crushed it in his hands.

"Also, Deathstroke," Edward said further, "I strongly recommend that you say nothing about Solor and I being Dragons, ever. For one, no one will believe your word. Your rep will be destroyed anyway. I know how you are. In the merc circles, you're quite famous. Now, your career is over."

"We'll see, monster," Slade snarled.

"Man, I've dealt with true monsters," Edward said, "They would laugh in your face before killing you. I've had three thousand YEARS to hone the craft of being human. Where you're going, you will have no visitors, ever, no phone calls, no way to contact your friends, ever again. It's called Florence ADX, a super maximum security prison.

"You tried to take Solor by making him see things, believe things that were not real. You made an attempt to get Terra and failed. Now, you try for dear sweet Starfire and got beaten like a rented mule. Now, your reign of terror is over.

"I do not know how you discovered us being dragons, but, I think it would be best to forget it. I don't know how you saw through my disguise. Maybe we should let Solor interrogate you. He's quite capable of getting you to talk. I've seen that in action and, well, it would result in a lot of problems for you.

"But, I know that you actually are honorable and would rather take some secrets to the grave. I do admire that. But, tell that to your son Joe. You know, the kid you almost killed to maintain honor. The kid who is mute for life because of the injury to his neck."

"Do your worst," Slade said, "I'll never talk."

"You do not have information that we would find useful," Robin said, "Let's go."

Slade tried to resist, only to see a bronzed arm casually picking him up by the belt and put over Solor's shoulder.

They left the tunnels and back to the surface to the waiting police department.

"Gentleman," Robin said, "Meet Slade, sans mask. I'm sure that you all would have a nice cell for him, hopefully in the max security wing."

"We do, Titans," the incident commander said, "We've been waiting for this day."

Slade tried to avoid the cuffs, but, Solor wrenched his arms back and threatened to break them both. Robin put the cuffs on, and for the first time, Slade was officially behind bars. He was taken away, and Solor looked over to Robin. "How do you feel? We have been chasing him for years... and I for one feel like we should celebrate."

"Agreed. It's about time that he got what he deserved", Robin said, smiling. "I wish we could party with you, Solor, but-"

"Say no more", Solor responded, smiling. "In my condition, that's not exactly a smart idea. Besides, I don't really do parties. So, go ahead and celebrate without me." He morphed back to human, cutting off the pheromones. "I need to relax a bit tonight, and I'd rather not have anyone coming on to me. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Just... keep the girls in that tower, and make sure they don't look for me. As much as I've kinda put you guys in danger, if any of them actively seek me out... well, that will probably not end well for me, considering they did get a good whiff of _my _pheromones."

"Solor," Edward said, "Hopefully, I got them out before they were too badly affected. But, we'll see what happens. We can celebrate after midnight, though. No party, but, something small. Besides, this is your birthday, we should do something, even is it's just some cake."

"I don't usually do cake," Solor said, "But, for you guys, I'll make an exception." He smiled lightly. "I'm sorry I never told you guys about my birthday. It's not something we celebrate all the time in my society. I understand it is important to you guys, though. So, I shall be back after midnight to celebrate with you, my friends." With that, he started walking away, heading towards the forest.

Robin turned to Edward. "Well, I guess we're heading back. Before we enter the tower, we'll check our communicators. Hopefully, none of them will be by the front door, but we'll need a gameplan to stop them from jumping us. I suggest we bring them to maybe an interrogation room if we absolutely have to. Terra won't have access to her powers, Starfire won't be able to break out since we designed them to withstand her strength, and Raven will probably work on using her meditation to keep her emoticlones under control."

Cyborg nodded. "Let's be careful, guys. I mean... I'm kinda safe, since I'm half robot, but you three will probably be at the biggest risk."

Beast Boy held a thumbs up. "No problem, dudes. We just go in, and go to our rooms for about an hour for the pheromones to wear off. No big deal."

Edward wasn't too sure. He had a bad feeling, but they couldn't really do anything about it now. Once they all arrived at the Tower, Cyborg took a look at the map.

"It looks like Raven's in her room, and Terra's in hers. I can't see Starfire, though..."

Robin felt himself become nervous. "If she's not in the tower... then where is she?"

Edward's face paled, "Three guesses and the first two don't count. Stay put, I've got the strength to hold her back if she's trying to find Solor. Cyborg, see if she has her communicator on her or if she left it here intentionally, please."

He pulled out his communicator, "Edward to Raven. My apologies for interrupting your meditation, Starfire's not in the Tower."

Raven's voice said, "She took off as soon as I released her from the sphere." She sounded strained, though.

"Hey, Edward," she said, "I really need you here." It sounded different, though, as if someone else was talking. It was more seductive, and it reminded Edward of Rachael when she was in the mood.

"No, you don't," Edward said, blushing, "I know that tone, Lust. You're not getting me in there."

"Oh, come on!" the now in control emoticlone said, "Your wife won't need -"

Edward closed the connection, "I'm not going there. No way. I would know and my Raven would have my hide strung up from the top of the Tower.

Cyborg managed to speak up. "Well, I don't think she left her communicator here", Cyborg said. "But it's on Emergency mode, meaning we can't reach her unless we override it."

"Well, isn't that fantastic", Beast Boy said. "We got three girls with an itch and one of them went AWOL. It looks like we're all in trouble."

"I hope Solor has a gameplan, or else he might be in serious trouble", Robin muttered.

**[The Forest]**

Solor managed to arrive safely and without incident. He opted for his hybrid form, since he was far enough away from civilization, no one would be affected by him. "Why didn't I just do this?" he asked himself. "At least I would have had more to do."

After eating a hearty meal of venison, he managed to calm down quite a bit. "Well... only a few more hours of this, and then I can return home safely. I can only hope that none of the girls realize what happened... or if they do, they can control themselves. They're all strong... it should be safe for the guys."

It was at that moment he smelled something familiar. And his eyes went wide. Slowly, he turned around, and stared in horror as he saw Starfire standing there. Her hair was a bit disheveled, she was panting, and there was a blush on her cheeks. But he recognized the look in her eyes, having seen it a hundred times before in his life.

She had the look of a predator.

"Kreinyol, don't come any closer", he said, torn. He didn't want to expose her to more of the pheromones, but if he reverted to human and she pounced, he wouldn't be able to defend himself. "You're not in your right mind... if you attack me, I will not hesitate to defend myself."

"Friend Solor", she said, and he shuddered. The tone of her voice said that she wanted him _bad_. "Why will you not love me?"

"Kreinyol, that's not you. That's the hormones talking. Snap out of it, my friend."

"Is that all you wish to be?" she asked, taking a couple steps closer. "Friends? I am by your side every day. I know you better than anyone else. I have fallen in love with you. Why do you not love me back?"

Solor sighed. Hopefully, she wouldn't remember this. "I never said I do not love you, Kreinyol. I simply cannot act on it."

"Because of your customs?" she asked, growling. "You are banished from your home. You are an adult now. Why not make the decisions for yourself?"

"Why did you go back to Tamaran to get married?" he countered. "It is the will of my people, as it was yours. You and I both have strong ties to tradition and rules set before us. If I act on what you are feeling, then I will never return home."

"But I do not wish for you to return home", Starfire admitted. She got closer, reaching out to him. "Stay here... with me..."

Solor pulled back, growling a bit. "Kreinyol this is not you. You would wish for me to be happy. You never put yourself in front of others."

She was silent for a moment. "Maybe I am the tired of that", she said, growling back. "Maybe I am the tired of putting my desires aside to help someone else. Perhaps I feel I should be able to get what I desire for once, even if I have to take it by force." She got into an aggressive stance. "So, Solor... shall we do this the easy way? Or the hard way?"

Solor growled back. "I do not want to fight you!"

Unknown to both of them, Edward was able to track Solor by the same thing that was driving Starfire mad. The wind carried his scent, and her elevated pheromones as well. Also, Cyborg overrode her communicator remotely and pinpointed her location as well as Solor's.

Edward saw Solor trying to back away and realized that Starfire was no longer listening to reason.

"I am sorry, my dear friend," Edward said to himself, "I have little choice."

He landed behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Stop this!" he said in her language, "I do not wish to hurt you, but, if I have to knock you out to prevent Solor from being raped, I will with the greatest of regrets."

"LET ME GO!" she screamed as she struggled, trying to use her full strength to power out.

"No, Koriand'r," Edward said as he struggled to maintain his grip, "You are not in your right mind. I can take whatever you dish out, you know that about me now."

She wasn't listening as they fought each other. Edward did not want to hurt her anymore than Solor would have.

"Solor," Edward said, "Forgive me...GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE! As long as you are here, she will fight."

Solor was taken aback but, got out of Dodge. He'd be angry later, but, with them so close together, Starfire would not relent. She needed to be away from the source and her head would clear up eventually.

"Come on, Star," Edward said, "You have to snap out of this. I don't want to hurt you anymore than you want to hurt your friends. This would cause the rekmas! I know you fear this more than anything else."

She struggled, growling angrily and was trying to get out of Edward's grip.

Finally, Edward had no choice. He put her into the same armbar that he was a victim of in another universe.

She screamed in frustration and some pain, "PLEASE, LET ME GO!"

Edward said, "No. Not even Galfore himself would get me to release you, not in this state of mind. I do not wish to break your arm, Princess. But, I will if I must."

She started sobbing then, "Solor doesn't love me."

That broke Edward's heart.

"Star," Edward said gently, "He loves you more than you know. He just can't act on it the way you would like. He loves you enough to not want to see you hurting like this. He doesn't make friends that easily due to his nature, but, he calls you his best friend. You're the one he would confide in and you're the one he would allow to see at his weakest. Everyone else sees the strong, unaffected Solor. Our people won't allow him to openly love you or any other non-Dragon. We're not like Galfore and your people where you could leave because your heart is with Solor."

"Why is he not wanting to share this love?" she cried. The fight had gone out of her so Edward released her and turned her around. He embraced her in a caring, loving hug of his own.

"Believe me," Edward said, "Solor does share this feeling, he has to be careful. His people may be watching him and he doesn't want to risk his ticket home. And, Star, I know this hurts you so much and I wish I could take away this pain. I can't, though. But, you can give him time to come around on his own...or when you're thinking more clearly, take Robin up on his offer. For you, this is a win-win situation. You can be happy with either of them!"

"How do you know this?" she asked.

"In my universe, Robin and Kori recently got the betrothed," Edward replied with a grin, "In that middle universe, it's Starborn and Kreinyol. In fact, my Raven and I were planning for a wedding. That's how I know that you would be happy either way."

"I want Solor, though," she said, sniffling.

"I know," Edward said, "I wish I could help you more. We should head home, though."

Starfire said, "My joy is gone, I cannot fly."

"It's all right," Edward said gently. He went to his hybrid form and picked her up. She put her arms around his neck and they took to the skies.

"I am sorry," she said as they flew.

"No need for sorry," Edward said with a soft smile, "You don't have to apologize to me and I know this Solor enough that while he might be angry, he does love you enough to forgive you. He'll be allowed back at midnight."

"Friend Robin threw him out?!" she exclaimed.

"No," Edward said, "Robin and Solor agreed that the best thing to do would be for him to hang out away from the Tower until his problem goes away. We'll celebrate his day of the hatching when he comes back."

Starfire was slowly becoming more like her old self, but, Edward suspected that all the gals would be hung over.

**[Titan Tower]**

As Edward was off rescuing Solor from Starfire, the boys had their own problems. Terra had emerged, looking half-crazed and as soon as she saw her boyfriend, she let out a growl of her own and said, "Come here, lover-boy."

"Now, Terra!" Beast Boy said, "I thought we agreed to wait until later on."

"I can't wait anymore!" she said, "I want you...Now!"

Beast Boy yelped and formed a cheetah. He hauled green tail to one of the interrogation rooms with Terra hot on his tail. While Cyborg was afraid for his friends, he couldn't help but set his eye up to record the exchange.

Beast Boy was able to outrun Terra, but, when she got there, she closed the door and smirked, "Sound-proof room. No matter how much you beg or scream or plead, no one can hear you."

And, sure enough, it didn't matter much. The only way Beast Boy was going to get out of his mess was to either enjoy it or form something much smaller and wait it out.

"Prime blackmail material", Cyborg said, smirking to himself.

Raven, meanwhile, had locked herself in her room, fighting for control of her own body. Lust had caused a little rebellion in an attempt to satisfy Raven's urges, and so far, it was Happiness, Lust, Bravery and Timid (she got roped into it) versus Rage, Rude, Wisdom, and Raven. Most of the other emotions opted to stay out of it. Needless to say, her room was a mess, but she'd be able to clean it when she got a handle on her emotions. Lust, of course, wanted all the guys, especially Edward. Happy would have liked anything. Timid did not like it, at all and was wanting to hide, but, Brave would have none of it.

Rage was in her Trigon form for some reason. Wisdom was trying to talk sense to Lust and the others. Rude was, well, rude and belched and poor Raven was close to banishing all the emoticlones to the farthest reaches of Nevermore.

But, as time went by for Raven, the pheromones did wear off slowly and the emoticlones started to calm down, much to Raven's relief.

It wasn't that easy for Beast Boy, though. Terra was too close to Solor and got a huge dose. She gave up looking for a shapeshifting Beast Boy and snagged poor Robin instead who was forced to deploy one of his smoke bombs to escape to his room and he locked it.

Cyborg saw the crazed geomancer looking for a target and decided that the T-Car needed some TLC and ran for the garage, locking the door after him.

A few minutes later, Edward and the still flightless Starfire returned and Edward's jaw dropped. The tower was not in the best of shapes.

There was smoke in the air, tables overturned and the next thing he knew, Terra was all over him.

"I can't get Beast Boy," she snarled, "And the others are hiding. That leaves you, Smoke-breath."

"No way, Terra" Edward said, "I'm not taking advantage of you." Terra tried anyway and Edward applied a "Vulcan Neck Pinch" martial arts move that stopped the girl cold. She crumpled, out cold and Edward placed her on the couch to sleep off the pheromones.

"Man, Starborn's going to laugh his ass off when I tell him," he muttered.

**[A Few Hours Later]**

"I swear, I am sooooo sorry!" Terra said, apologizing like crazy.

After some time, the pheromones had run their course, and now all of the girls were back to normal. Raven was pretty much indifferent, seeing as she hadn't actually tried to force anyone. Terra, on the other hand, was apologizing profusely to everyone, and being reassured that she was forgiven.

"It's alright, babe", Beast Boy said, smiling. "You weren't yourself. As long as you don't try again, we're cool." She seemed to feel better.

But, Starfire was taking it really hard, muttering several phrases in her native language and wanted to make it up to Solor very badly, but, he was still where his pheromones would ignite the girls' passions all over again.

Finally, Edward got up and decided to take the team's minds off the problems and said, "OK, Terra. Chill out. You did nothing wrong, all right? You were under the influence of some powerful pheromones. You are not responsible. Beast Boy has forgiven you and so has Robin, Cyborg and I! So, quit moping already.

"Starfire, same goes for you. In fact, I think between your true feelings and the pheromones, Solor knows how you feel. But, try to remember what I said, please. I know that you are destined to be a happy Tamaranian princess no matter what path X'Hal has set before you.

"And, Raven...You will have no idea how hard it was for me to say no. You are the duplicate of my own wife and it would have been so easy to give in. But, morally, I would have known and in my own heart, I would have been cheating on my Raven. She would have known right away and I would have lose her trust and her respect.

"Now, I promised you my special pasta sauce and after today's events, I think some comfort food is well in order.

"Today's cooking lesson is open to all!"

They all headed to the kitchen and over the next 30 minutes, they got their first and probably only cooking lesson from a 3,000 year old dragon.

Edward also reminded Robin to place an order for a birthday cake for Solor's delayed celebration.

When it was about time to throw in the meatballs that the team (except for Beast Boy) requested, Edward ladled out a generous portion for Beast Boy to enjoy. A move that he appreciated, and got Cyborg to roll his human eye.

Edward convinced Raven to do the actual pasta and showed her that it was relatively easy to cook. The team was amazed that Raven could be talked into a team activity, especially when they all knew she'd rather be left alone.

Edward asked Beast Boy to put together the salad, being the resident vegetarian and Terra opted to help him. Robin offered to make some Garlic Bread. Edward nodded, knowing that Robin in his civilian life had a good teacher.

Right before sunset, the meal was ready and the team dug in. Edward made a lot of meatballs so, several were pulled aside for their very temporarily banished Titan. Edward wasn't about to let Solor go hungry...even though Solor would likely go hunting anyway, he'd still have a snack to welcome him home.

Everyone enjoyed Edward's first home-cooked meal and even Beast Boy remarked how tasty the sauce was without the meat.

"Sure you don't want a taste of the meaty goodness?" Cyborg said with a smirk.

"Only if you drink some soy milk," Beast Boy retorted.

Cyborg turned a funny color. "I thought not," Beast Boy said.

Edward had to refrain from laughing aloud. He had been told about the time Beast Boy fixed breakfast for the team and Cyborg had pretty much eaten everything before he realized it was an all vegan meal with soy milk.

[What's so funny?] he heard in his head [You can hide that chuckle from the others, but, not from an empath.]

[Just something my team told me. It's something that may still happen in your future, so, I best not say anything, even to you.]

"No ralphing, Cy," Edward admonished, but, the smirk gave him away.

Beast Boy, having gotten in his digs, settled down to finish his meal.

"Robin," Edward said, "I shouldn't have stepped on your toes earlier. I am sorry if you thought I was taking over."

"Forget about it," Robin said with a smile, "You were trying to protect the team as I would have. This meal more than made up for any hurt feelings."

**[Forest area]**

Solor was relieved that Starfire had barely been intercepted by Edward, even though he was also a tad angry that he'd been ordered away, he understood why. She was so desperate that he wondered if she had really been feeling that way towards him the whole time. After a while, he saw Edward flying off with her in his arms and his head lowered. He realized that her powers were disrupted to the point Edward had to offer to take her back to the tower.

And, that bothered Solor immensely. Not that Edward would try to steal her due to his unwavering loyalty to his Raven, but, that he had hurt his best friend.

He pulled out his Communicator and wanted to call the Tower, but, decided to wait a while. He wasn't sure what to say.

A couple hours later, though, his Communicator started chirping.

"Solor here," he said.

"Hey, it's Edward," was the reply, "How are you holding up?"

"Oh, just peachy," Solor said.

"At least you're having some time to relax," Edward said, "it's been a madhouse over here. I had to not only restrain Starfire, but, when she calmed down from her pheromone induced mood, we discovered her flight powers were completely disrupted. When I got her home, Terra tried to attack me. I had to knock her out with a martial arts move. She's awake, but, apologizing to everyone. Raven's still in her room, so, I have to think that she's meditating and trying to get her emoticlones under control. The guys and I were cleaning up the Tower. I guess in their haste to escape Terra, they had to shove things aside.

"But, Solor, Star's really got it bad for you. I think that the pheromones caused her to speak what was in her heart. But, I know you well enough from your duplicate that I would be wasting my breath to talk you into something you already decided against doing. But, when you get back, please at least cheer her up, encourage her, and tell her that your love for her is that of being her best friend and that you think of her as family. I know that you already do, but, they all need to hear that, actually. I think that she will understand better than you think. Let her down gently.

"I'm fixing that pasta sauce I told you about yesterday. It's a comfort food night if I ever saw one. I'll save a generous portion of the meatballs, though."

Solor sighed, "I was afraid of that. I know you got the girls out of there as quickly as you could. And, thanks for taking care of Kreinyol as well. I know you wouldn't have hurt her physically. I should have just stayed in the woods from the beginning."

"You would have lost her to Slade. The Slade-Bots had a new weapon that, according to Beast Boy, would have killed us, slowly and painfully," Edward said, "Somehow, Slade realized that there are two dr..."

"Don't say it! These aren't as secure as you'd think," Solor said, "This is an open channel."

"Ohhh," Edward said, "I'll have Robin ask Cyborg to add some strong encryption to the communicators. You can't afford to have these devices hacked into or intercepted.

"Regardless, I would happily pay this price again if it keeps a Teen Titan from falling to a villain."

"Thank you, my friend", Solor said, sighing. "I would like to apologize, again, for all the trouble. I will make it up to everyone when I can. In fact... let me call the actual tower. I need to speak to everyone."

Edward nodded, and transferred the call. Now, Solor's face was plastered on the TV, and he could see everyone was looking at him.

"My friends... I am very sorry that you were affected by me today", he said. "I did not want to do it... but I had no choice. If I did not act... we may have lost a teammate to Slade, and that was something I could not bear. I understand that there were some hardships, and things may have been said... but I would like to make it all up to you when I can."

He looked to Terra first. "I honestly had no idea how strong the pheromones were, but if they were to drive someone with such a strong will to such lengths... then perhaps I should have found a different way. Perhaps there was something I could have done. But for now, my way of apologizing to you, Terra, is to lighten up your training. As long as you meditate every day, then you and I can take a short break from our daily exercises." He then looked to the guys. "And I believe I owe each of you a favor. As long as you don't try to get me to eat something I don't like or embarrass me, I'll be willing to help each of you with whatever you need.

"Raven... I believe I have some rare books that might pique your interest. They'd do better in your capable hands rather than mine. I'm sorry I don't have much more to offer to you as an apology."

Finally, he turned to Starfire, sighing. "Kreinyol... today has been hard on both of us. For you, in ways that I didn't even think possible. And now I understand exactly how you feel towards me."

She looked down, her eyes closing, waiting to hear the words she dreaded.

"Kreinyol... tomorrow, will you accompany me to dinner?"

Everyone's heads snapped up, and Starfire gaped. "Wait... you are not the angry?" she asked.

"How can I be?" He chuckled a bit. "It may have been a little... unorthodox, but a confession is still a confession. And... maybe I don't really have to worry about my old home." He smiled, a real genuine smile. "After all, Lair is only a small part of something much bigger. And I'll be damned if I don't get to put my needs ahead of something else for once. Especially if my needs mean that I get to see you smile again. So... what do you say, Kreinyol?"

Starfire was so overjoyed, she started flying right on the spot. "Yes, of course!"

There were a few cheers, and Robin, although he didn't look too happy, gave a thumbs up.

Edward thought, _This Solor doesn't realize it, but, he's slowly becoming a better Dragon with this choice. But, as much as I would like to be able to stay and see how this ends up, my place is still back in my universe. If they can actually avoid Lair finding out for the next few decades, all the better. But, can their love beat the odds? I wonder. Can Solor become stronger than Starborn in some areas? That I would not mind seeing for myself, but, my duty is not to this reality. The Titans I know and love as family must be frantic. And, Rae is so close to her due date as it is._

"Edward," Solor said, "I think you were right. I know that after you leave, I will not see you again, but, should I get a chance to return home, I will tell the Circle that we crossed paths and how, at least in one reality, you have proven to be one of the strongest dragons. That is how I wish to repay you."

"Solor," Edward said, "Teach Raven how to cast a Tear of Oblivion, if possible. Who knows what will happen? But, I will understand if you are not able to."

Little did they all know, that Edward's time was indeed short for in another reality, a little dragon was about to open a Tear back home...

**[Crossover Universe - Titan's Tower]**

"I think you're ready, Soskrein."

Solor and the others nodded, agreeing with Sol's statement. She had been practicing very hard, and even pushed herself over her limits in her attempts to find her uncle. Finally, after weeks of practicing, she was finally deemed ready to attempt to open the right Tear.

"Just remember your training, sweetie", Solor said. "If you focus on what you felt, and opening a door rather than a tear, then you can freely open a way for Edward to return. But remember to keep calm. We don't need you panicking before we get him home."

Soskrein nodded. "Yes, Daddy", she said. She turned to Raven. "I'm sorry that I have to do this, Aunt Raven. Are you sure you're alright?"

Raven nodded. "Susie. It's OK. No need for apologies. I'll hold back my emotions so you can concentrate. They won't interfere."

Soskrein let out a breath, and then focused. The familiar pull hit her, and next thing she knew, she was in Raven's body. She then focused on her memories, and what she felt the day Edward was taken. After a moment, "Raven" opened her eyes, revealing pitch black.

"Open now!" she said in English. "Tear of Oblivion!"

At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, slowly, the portal manifested. Solor braced himself, but was relieved when there was no vacuum at all. Everyone looked at Soskrein hopefully as she stared into the portal.

None of them were ready for what happened next.

Not five seconds after the portal opened, Soskrein suddenly left Raven's body. Snatching the universal communicator that Edward left behind, she sprinted as fast as she could, jumping headfirst into the Tear.

"I'm coming, Uncle Ed-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the portal closed, leaving Solor in a panicked state as he saw his only daughter get caught up.

"Susie... SUSIE!"


	9. Edward rescued and A NEW BABY!

**Chapter 9**  
**[Original Universe - Titan Tower**  
**[12:30 AM Next day]**

Solor's temporary exile had ended and he was back at the Tower, the threat of a pheromone induced sex crime greatly reduced. But, Solor would not use his hybrid form for a few more hours, just in case.

The normal bedtime that Robin enforced was waived to allow Solor the opportunity to celebrate the capture of Slade, and a toast on his birthday (Fake champagne, of course.)

As they were getting ready to toast Solor's 750th birthday, though, a rip in the fabric of reality formed and before anyone could react, an 8 year old with flaming red hair and bronzed skin came out. The team braced for an attack until they saw the shocked look on Edward's face.

That was followed by the sound of a glass hitting the floor and shattering.

"Oh my GOD! SUSIE?!" Edward exclaimed as that child became a red blur as Soskrein knocked Edward over.

"UNCLE EDWARD!" Soskrein yelled happily.

Edward disengaged from the happy kid with tears of joy pouring down his own cheeks.

"Guys," Edward said, "Meet Susie, my goddaughter from the one universe! Otherwise known as Soskrein as she is Starborn's daughter there.

"Baby girl, I have missed you so bad! I never thought..." Edward broke down completely, confusing Soskrein immensely.

"Why are you crying?" she asked, hugging her favorite uncle.

"He's just overjoyed to see you," Raven replied. Soskrein looked around and saw all her "extended family" but, knew that they did not know her.

Edward wiped the tears and said, "Solor, come meet your twin's daughter.

"Susie, you know how there are 'twins' of the Teen Titans in my reality? Well, these are the other twins in this world, including one for Daddy."

Her face lit up regardless as Solor approached her slowly, for once, unsure what to say.

"I believe at least a 'Hello' would work," Edward said.

"Hello, Soskrein," Solor managed to say, up until then stunned into a lack of speech.

Edward noticed the communicator she was holding and asked, "Sweetheart, is that what I think it is?"

She smiled and handed it to Edward, "It is, Uncle!"

Edward said, "I need to be alone, except for my goddaughter. Solor, you've earned the right to at least see the team's counterparts, if you'd like." He took her hand and walked towards the guest quarters.

As soon as the door closed, he opened it and said, "Edward to Solor."

There was a burst of static before a frantic looking Starborn appeared.

"Edward?!" he exclaimed, "Are you all right? Where's Susie?"

"Well, hello to you, brother," Edward said with a smirk, "I'm fine, just celebrating your counterpart's birthday. Soskrein came through that Tear without a scratch. She's here with me." He handed the communicator to her and Starborn's face immediately relaxed.

"Hi, daddy!" she said happily.

"Soskrein, don't ever frighten us that way again," he chided, "You could have been anywhere!"

Her face fell, "I'm sorry, daddy." She sniffled a bit. Edward glared at Starborn a little, but, only for a second.

"Hey! No tears," Starborn said, "I'm just glad that you're all right and with Uncle. I'm not angry with you."

Edward pulled her into a gentle hug, "And, I am so happy to see you! How is Aunt Rachael?"

"Worried sick," Starborn said, "But, I'll let you ask her. She has not left this tower since you were sucked away, and it took a **lot** of convincing to get her to let us worry about finding you."

Rachael appeared on the screen and Edward said, "Hi, babe! You holding up all right? Please, tell me that I didn't miss being there for the baby's birth." The exhaustion was obvious; she did look rested, but the stress of not being able to contact Edward had obviously taken its toll.

"I need you home as soon as you can", she said. "This past month has been hell without you, honey. And, the baby is waiting for her daddy."

Solor huffed indignantly. "Oh, like you had the worst company in all of the universes here."

"Given who is talking, I wouldn't exactly say you're the best company either", Rachael managed to joke. Solor only smirked, glad to see that she could still joke a bit. "But seriously, Edward, pack up whatever you need to pack. Now that we have a fix on you, we can bring you back whenever you're ready."

Soskrein looked into the communicator, smiling. "Are you happy, Aunt Rachael? I found Uncle Edward, like I said I would."

At that, Rachael smiled. "Yes, I am, sweetie. You did just as you said you would. We'll get the both of you home as quick as we can."

Edward, however, knew this would be bittersweet. "Give me half an hour... I have to say goodbye to some friends."

Rachael nodded. If it was anything like when Solor was trapped in their world, Edward would have to say some teary goodbyes to his friends. "Take your time... just not too much. I don't know how much time I have left before Callisto decides she's ready."

Edward closed the communications, looking to Soskrein. "So, why did you come through the Tear, Susie? I'm sure Raven or Daddy would have had a good grip on you."

"Not really", Soskrein admitted. "I mean... I was the only one who knew what this universe felt like, and... I've been training really hard. I was taught how to control my possession powers and how to cast a Tear while controlling Aunt Raven."

At that, Edward's eyes bulged. "You mean you opened that portal?!"

"Yep!" Soskrein said, beaming. "After you got taken away, my powers woke up. Daddy got the idea that because of that, I could help find you. He taught me everything along with Grandpa, Aunt Raven, Aunt Vilea, Aunt Rachael and Uncle Jericho. I promised Grandpa that I wouldn't use them until I get older, though." She then thought of something. "Uncle Edward... Daddy told me that I had a brother and a sister... do you know what happened to them?"

Edward's eyes widened, then, he pulled his god-daughter onto his lap.

"Sweetheart," he said, "You are the best thing that's happened to me in a while and, well, I had to do something that I have regretted doing for a long time. Well, not that long, but, it will haunt me the rest of my days.

"Susie, right before you hatched, everyone one of the Titans and the Circle were in the War against Darkness. Against your other grandpa. Well, a dragon named Nightmare..."

"You mean the one I helped capture?" Susie asked.

"Wait...What?!" Edward exclaimed, "How?"

"When my powers awakened," she said, "I went into that other child's mind. Aunt Raven and mommy went in there to find me. He's not a nice dragon, Uncle."

"No," Edward said, "He isn't."

"He wanted to hurt me, Uncle, but, I got away," she said, unaware that she just gave Edward a reason to demand that BloodBath fight.

"Well," Edward said, restraining his anger, "Nightmare possessed Aunt Raven and tried to harm Aunt Rachael and me. But, when he couldn't take us, he took Aunt Raven's soul-self. You know that black aura she has?"

Susie nodded.

"He forced Aunt Raven's soul-self out and kidnapped her. He took Aunt Raven to the Dark Lair itself. Daddy and I followed and we tried to rescue her soul-self before her big, bad daddy was summoned. But, they only needed her to help. Grand Darkness...your other grandpa...also had two other Twilight whelps.

"Sweetheart, to delay Raven's dad from being summoned..." He choked up and couldn't continue. Susie gave him a hug and said, "You had to kill it?"

Edward could only nod.

By then, his distress was reaching the native Raven to the point she had to intervene.

She knocked and said, "Edward? It's Raven. Can I come in?"

He nodded and Susie opened the door.

"Edward," Raven said, putting a hand on his cheek, "You can't keep beating yourself up over whatever happened. Your remorse is overwhelming."

"Raven, you were not there!" he said. "I _**MURDERED**_ AN INNOCENT, DEFENSELESS NEWBORN DRAGON TO PREVENT YOUR GOD FORSAKEN FATHER FROM INVADING ANOTHER UNIVERSE!" He managed to NOT take God's name in vain in from of Soskrein.

Raven's face paled but, she did the only thing an empath could do and pulled Edward into a VERY rare hug.

Soskrein tried her hardest, but, she broke down crying as well.

That got Starfire flying into the room, as well as Solor.

Starfire bent down and looked as Susie and she said, "I may not be your real k'norfka, but, may I hold you?" Susie nodded and latched onto Starfire. She started to hum a calming tune.

Solor, meanwhile, approached Soskrein. He looked at her curiously, then reached out, gently placing a hand on top of her head. She turned, surprised by the touch, but he gave a small smile. There were no words traded between them, but there was a connection. He pulled his hand back, reaching over and starting to comfort Edward.

"My friend... I care not what you did." Solor looked into Edward's eyes. "If it was for the greater good, then I understand why you did it. I am certain that it was necessary."

"Uncle Edward", Soskrein spoke up. She reached out for Edward, and soon wrapped her arms around his leg. "I love you. More than a brother or sister I never met. If you had to do it... to save everyone, to save me... then it's okay. And I'm sure that they understand too. Even if they didn't know it back then." She looked Edward in the eye. "I forgive you in their place, Uncle Edward. So stop being sad. I don't like it when you're sad... it makes me sad."

Edward looked at Soskrein and said, "You are a sweet little girl. But, your other sibling was sacrificed. The Grand Darkness used that one instead. Aunt Raven lost her powers and was not much older then you in this form. That one, I do not know what happened. That one, your dark Grandfather killed.

"But, thank you. You have no idea how your words have helped your uncle, sweetie.

"Niece, I swear before the First and all that is holy to dragons and mankind...I shall never kill a defenseless dragon ever again. If I break my word, may the First send my soul to a very bad place."

He hugged her as well and his emotions calmed down after that. In fact, since that fateful day, Edward had been plagued with haunting dreams that would wake him in a cold sweat and Rachael would have to reassure him time and time again that he did what he had to do. But, to hear Soskrien forgiving him and voicing her unconditional love was what he needed to hear and his deeply wounded soul started to heal at last.

"Solor," Edward said, "Thank you for your words and not chewing me out about any weakness. I am usually not like this."

"I understand", Solor said, smiling. "Honestly I would have let you go in peace, but with Raven and Kreinyol both rushing to check on you, I couldn't leave well enough alone." He kneeled down. "Besides... I was concerned about my counterpart's daughter... she certainly does resemble him."

Starfire looked confused. "Your... counterpart's...?"

"Yes, Kreinyol." Solor tentatively picked up Soskrein, relieved that she was allowing it. "Susie is... my daughter, if I had been fortunate enough to meet Edward when I was sent through the Tear a few months ago." He looked at Starfire. "She is... quite adorable, I will admit. Perhaps someday, she'll have a counterpart of her own, don't you think?"

Starfire couldn't help but smile. "Yes, she may."

Solor turned to Edward. "I suppose this mean that you need to go now, doesn't it?"

Edward only nodded. Solor gave Soskrein one last hug, then walked over and offered his hand. When Edward took it, though, Solor surprised everyone in the room by giving Edward a brotherly hug. "You take care of your family, Edward Barnes. Your brother will miss you."

"Kiinnum," Edward said surprised at the last sentence, "That is what Starborn named me and the name I use in Lair...Brother."

Edward smiled at his words, and returned the hug. Solor eventually let go, and turned away. He left without a word, but Raven could pick up on his emotions.

"He's not happy that you're leaving", she said. "But he understands why you have to. Better get your goodbyes over with; I'm sure your wife is eagerly waiting for you."

"Raven, you are so much like my Rachael, it was not easy to keep you a separate entity with her own future. But, never give up on your hope. You will need it someday in the future," Edward said, "if your history isn't too greatly swerved, you will have an unwelcome visitor." He gave her a hug, which she slowly returned.

"Starfire of Tamaran," he said, "No matter what universe I have met you in, you are someone that I do not call 'Friend Starfire' or Koriand'r or Kreinyol. You are far more than that. You are my sister because your have earned that honor. I have only called a handful of people that. That's why I hated fighting you...but, that's why I leave you with a parting gift: I forgive you. I know that you did no wrong, but, in your mind, you would have wondered.

"Remember one thing: Right here, right now that you are a somebody. You will never be a troq, not in my eyes, not in the eyes of your friends. You have earned my respect in three universes. These people are your family now. Forget Blackfire for she is, indeed, that hateful word. Remember your dear K'norfka's words but modify them. In doing what is best for your family, do what is best for your heart as well."

By then, the other Teen Titans (minus Solor) had come in.

Edward looked at Robin and said, "Robin, you're in charge of one of the best groups of people I have been honored to work with and to help. Be the leader that these guys look up to and above all: Master your jealousy. It will tear this team apart if you cannot. Solor said that he would be supportive if Starfire and you hooked up. I need you to be just as supportive should Solor and Star hook up for Solor may be banished for life. He could sacrifice a lot more than you can ever know."

He looked over at Cyborg and said, "Dawg, Keep being the big brother that you have been, regardless of universe. Raven looks up to you in that role, then again, everyone here does. And, just to answer a question I know that you want answered: your triple meat pasta sauce is every bit as good as mine. Your counterpart in my universe makes it like once a month, so, I know how yours would be. Just lay off Beast Boy once in a while. The team would love that. Keep him under your wing, and MENTOR him."

Terra caught his eye next. She got pulled into a hug.

"Tara Markov, one of the bravest, strongest your women I have met. A woman I am honored to have as a friend. You have truly come home to a family that loves you for who you are. You have an excellent teacher in Solor, even if he does get on you at times. But, the alternative would have been unthinkable and could have had long term damage to everyone. Stay this course, Terra. You will not regret it. Be a reason for Solor to be proud of you and someone he will remember long after you are gone."

Finally, his eyes settled on Beast Boy. That got a smile out of Edward.

"Beast Boy. A good friend to have anywhere and while you try to get a smile out of Raven with your jokes and pranks, you have a heart of gold. You've got a great girlfriend in Terra and great friends with everyone else. But, give it a rest as well. Raven isn't always going to be nice and not phase you out the nearest window. She does look upon you as a little brother, so, don't blow it. Treat Raven with the respect that is due her. Treat this team like they are your family. There will be a day when she may actually smile at something you say. Till then, be patient. Finally, I am sorry about your parents...Your counterpart in my universe told me a long time ago. Know that they will always love you and I want to think that they are proud of who you are. Believe that they are smiling down at you and approving of Terra. You both have helped each other and were doing that from day one."

Beast Boy was stunned for a moment but recovered quickly.

"I do not know if I will be able to come back here, but, I will never forget any of you."

The team all gave Edward a parting hug, especially Starfire!

After that, they slowly filed out of the room. Edward asked Robin to stay for a few moments, though.

Edward had kept his needs down to a bare minimum and it did not take long to pack up.

Finally, he flipped open the communicator and called the others.

"Hi, Raven," he said, "I am ready, but, I need a favor first. Can you open a tear back to my universe and get $1000. I promised the native Titans that I would not stick..."

"The hell you will," Robin objected, "You helped take down Slade once and for all. That's repayment with interest, far as I am concerned."

Edward nodded, "As you wish, Robin. I don't want to leave here with any bitterness. Thank you."

The middle Raven smirked, "You haven't changed, Robin.

"I'll have that Tear opened in a moment."

"Tell Solor that I enjoyed our talks," Edward requested, "I don't know if I can come back here, but, who knows? One day, a Tear may open and I'll step out for a day or two.

"My final advice for you, and it stays between us: Patch up your relationship with Bruce, Richard. Even if you two do not fight crime together anymore, you are both on the same side. Who knows what will happen, but, there may be a time with the Titans and the Justice League will work together. That will only happen once you both say 'I am sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"The door is always open," Robin said, "And I will think on what you said."

A moment later, the awaited Tear opened and Edward grabbed his suitcase in one hand and Susie in the other arm.

"Bye, Robin!" she said. Robin smiled at her and said, "Take care of your uncle!"

Edward took a breath and stepped into the Tear.

It only took a few moments and the Tear was releasing him and Soskrein.

Edward barely had time to put Susie on the ground before he was nearly tackled by Rachael.

They hugged each other and kissed one another.

"I missed you!" she said, trying to keep her emotions in check, the tears streaking down her face betrayed her, though

"Babe, you have NO idea how much I missed you!" Edward said as he wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Even with more counterparts, huh?" She asked.

"I prefer to have my for-real wife here, by my side," Edward said.

He placed his hand on Rachael's stomach and felt the baby responding.

[Daddy's home, baby girl,] he said through the newly restored link.

"Brother!" Starborn said, "Welcome Home!"

"Thanks, man!" Edward said. Then, he got tacked for real by two Tamaranians!

Kori and Kreinyol were overjoyed to see their friend again. Especially Kreinyol.

"Friend Edward has returned!" she said with a laugh.

Edward gave them both a kiss on the cheek in reply.

They let him up and a deep voice said, "Welcome home, Kiinnum."

Edward averted his gaze in accordance with custom and said, "You honor me, Grand Light. Thank you."

As the others welcomed him home, Edward noticed something on Terra's hand. It was a beautiful engagement ring!

"Wait a tic," he said with a smile, "Beast Boy and Terra? Are you...?"

"We are!" Terra said happily, "We were going to tell you earlier, but, you disappeared."

"C'mere!" Edward said. The newest engaged couple went over to him and got another hug.

"I am so happy for the both of you! Congrats!"

"Brother," Starborn said, "We know who tried to banish you. I know this isn't the best time."

"Oh," Edward said, "This is a perfect time. I want that dragon known as Nightmare's head on a pike. I want his hide to adorn my room and his carcass to rot, eaten by the scavengers."

"You know?" Starborn asked.

"Of course he knows, daddy!" Susie said, "I told him."

"Kiinnum," Sol said, "Nightmare's been in the prisoner area of Lair since Soskrein captured him. The Circle has deferred judgment until you returned. What say you?"

Edward's eyes glowed red as he said, "I hereby make a petition for the Bloodbath, Grand Light. As soon as it can be arranged, please."

"I see my counterpart told you?" Starborn asked.

"He did, Starborn, to some degree. He was hesitant to discuss it at the time," Edward said, "I also know Nightmare tried to hurt my god-daughter. That alone warrants a severe beat-down."

"It was more than that, Edward," Raven said, "He possessed Beast Boy and thought about killing her."

Edward's anger threatened to erupt like a supervolcano when he heard that.

"I'm gonna kill that sumbitch! Dead Dragon Walking," was all he said and the tone of his voice chilled the room more than both Rachael and Raven combined could.

"Edward," Nightwing said, "I'm not going to even try to talk you out of this. Besides, I know this is not a matter for the Titans, so, do what you think is best."

Edward nodded, "Thank you, Nightwing."

Edward saw another one there who was not really comfortable with the proceedings.

Edward walked over to her and said, "Vilea. I am pleased to see you here. Thank you for helping Soskrein to find me. Even though I was not keeping score on if you owed me anything, let's say that you have repaid any debts...with interest.

"There is something that Starborn's duplicate mentioned about Soskrein. We've noticed, probably like you have, that she can't 'turn off' her eye glow for long in a human form. The other Solor said it might be a trait from her dark side? Is that something she could grow out of. I mean, I can control how my eyes light up, and I know Starborn and you control that as well. Also, what about her normal eye color. That blood red hue might be natural to our people, but, from a human standpoint...It can creep someone out."

She thought about it and replied, "Good question. There's not enough information to really know if she'll be able to really control it or not. With only you and her as hybrids..." she shrugged her shoulders.

"But, Edward, I _did_ owe you. I don't think I would have come around without you. I am not used to thanking anyone..."

"It's all right," Edward said with a friendly smile, "You're welcome regardless. May I ask what you did with Nightmare?"

That got a malicious look on her face, "I gave him a Traitor's Sending. He's banished from the Dark Lair. His possessions were burned and he cannot leave any inheritance to his whelps who will bear his dishonor for seven generations. His nights are filled with dread. Remember what I said when Susie was discussed in the Circle?"

Edward nodded, "I do. It even chilled me a bit hearing that."

"You do not need worry I would use my powers against you, though," she said, "Nightmare is living through an endless nightmare now. He cannot sleep without torment."

Edward nodded for a moment and said, "Very fitting, and I am not one who normally approves of corruption of blood. But, I want him in top form for this Bloodbath. Please, can you do me another favor and let him recover? I'm not going to kill a dragon who cannot defend himself ever again, even if he does deserve that fate. Let Nightmare die like a man ought to. Also, given how long our generations are, would you consider lowering that aspect to say, two generations. I've kind of outgrown the who need to shame someone who is so far removed from the original crime that they may never understand why."

Vilea thought about it and nodded, "You are being far more generous than I thought you would be. But, I will grant this favor."

"I do not believe in punishing the truly innocent, Vilea," Edward explained, "I am showing mercy to his descendants, nothing more. Nightmare himself, is a dead man. He assaulted my honor and wanted to murder your daughter in cold blood. I know how that feels and unlike him, I regret having to kill one of your children. That's why I refuse to slaughter a defenseless dragon ever again. I have sworn this before the First. That's why I want Nightmare at his best. Soskrein forgave me in their place as you forgave me that day. I have never forgotten that. Also, I will fight to restore your clan's honor before the Circle and the other clans. Being the only hybrid of them all, I must represent them honorably. That includes Darkness seeing how my mother did mate with a Dark Dragon as well."

Starborn stepped over and asked Edward, "Dang, Edward, you are really vested in this whole thing, but, I am wondering. What was my counterpart like?"

"Very much like you were when you arrived," Edward said with a smirk, "arrogant, proud and not afraid to voice his opinions. Strong willed as well. But, I think that even without my being there, he's softening up a bit.

"He certainly cares about his Starfire and, well, like you were, he is conflicted by his feelings for her. Will he act on them? Hard to tell right now, but, I do think he will."

"Will he be the next Grand Light?" Starborn asked.

"No," Edward said, "He meant it when he told Sol that he would return to Lair as a solder, not the Heir. He wants to forge a different path.

"I am glad of one thing, though. Because you decided before your 750th birthday to have a mate, we were spared a pheromone frenzy in both universes."

"You mean?" Starborn asked.

"Yeah, I was there for his hatching day," Edward said, "it was … not that fun, to be honest.

"Slade picked the wrong day to try to take a new apprentice and when your counterpart realized who it was, Solor decided to join the mission regardless of what happened. He, Starfire and I made sure that Slade regretted his choice."

"He picked Starfire?!" Starborn said.

"It was a bad choice," Edward replied, "After Slade was delivered to jail, without his mask, the girls were affected. I had to fight Starfire because she really lost it and was about to attack him to do the same thing that Vilea did to you. She didn't know that Kori had been teaching me several moves, including the one that had us tapping out. By then, I had to tell Solor to leave the area. It was a fight that I do not wish to go through again. Her mind was so clouded and she was so saddened that he couldn't act on his own feelings, her powers were disrupted.

"I got her home after she regained her senses, only to have to fend off Terra! She was also under the influence but, easier to subdue. Even Raven tried to get me, but, that was only through the communicator. No, I didn't give in there...Rachael would have skinned me alive many times over."

"Got that right," Rachael said, "I would have been asking for this BloodBath."

"Sweetheart," Edward said with a smile, "You're the only version of Raven that I would want intimate relations with. I see the native Raven as a good friend, if not a twin sister to you, but, nothing more than that. Besides, I know that her and Robin are in a relationship of their own.

"However, Solor did ask Starfire out on a date. I can only hope it goes well for them both. And, I can only hope that the Circle there doesn't find out! They'll banish him for good."

"Did you meet our counterparts?" Sol asked.

"No," Edward said, "I didn't even consider teleporting to Lair. None of them would have recognized me and it wouldn't have ended well. Sol, I got lucky that the Circle here was so receptive and willing to change despite my not wanting that. My arrival here, regardless of what you folks think, changed your entire society. So far, it's worked out for the best. Over there, I had to keep a low profile so I wouldn't destroy their reality with paradoxes. They just got passed the point in their history when Raven almost released Malchior."

Edward chuckled, "All I had to say to your counterpart there was 'Hear of a dragon named Malchior?' He raced out of the guest quarters and almost tore her door down.

"We convinced her to not release him, but, in exchange, Solor and I told the team the truth about Dragons. Man, the cultural difference alone had my head spinning."

"At the time, we had to be concerned," Sol said, "Dragons are not allowed to exert an undue effect on history and the mortals, even now, that law is enforced. We're not going to lord over humans, but, you know that all too well."

"Sol," Edward said, "We're agreed on that issue, obviously. There just isn't anything to gain by taking over. Humanity has to forge their own path. It's one thing to guide, suggest and imply, but, to compel. Not for me, and I would challenge any dragon who thought otherwise.

"So, Sol? What are the rules, if any, to this 'Bloodbath'?"

Sol replied, "Well, the basic rules are this: This is a fight to the death. Two dragons enter, one dragon leaves. No one may assist. No quarter, no mercy, no surrender. No time limits. However, the Circle reserves the right to impose additional limits if the Bloodbath battle is too one-sided."

"Uncle?" Susie said, "Do you have to do this?"

Edward looked at her and said, "Yes, Soskrein, I have to. Nightmare had no business trying to banish me to that other universe. And, he wanted to do more than hurt you. He wanted you dead, I cannot allow that challenge to go unanswered. It's also to show the other dragons that I cannot allow a challenge to my personal honor go unanswered. Nightmare did a dishonorable thing in tossing me to that other universe and he dishonored Aunt Vilea and his clan in the process."

He smiled, though, "As you get older and wiser, you will see that we dragons won't tolerate certain things. One of them is that the strong defends the weak, always."

"What if he hurts you?" Soskrein asked.

"Uncle heals really fast," Edward said, "And I am a lot more powerful than he is, and a lot older.

"You know how Grandpa can't be killed, right?"

Soskrein nodded, "Yes, because Grandpa is the Grand Light of the Circle."

Edward smiled, "I see Grandpa Sol has taught you some of the dragon history. Maybe your Uncle should make the time to learn this history as well."

"He teaches me human history as well, Uncle," she said gleaming.

"That's good!" Edward said, "The Circle would be living witnesses to history, Susie. They wouldn't have any reason to rewrite history." He nodded towards Sol as he said that.

"I'm still worried, Uncle," Soskrein said.

"You want to know something?" Edward asked, "Your other grandpa tried to kill me as well and he was a really hard fight. Probably one of the top five hardest fights I ever had. I was worried I'd lose but, Grandpa Sol and the Circle came to my aid. And, even with all of us using our blessings, seven dragons attacking at once, Grand Darkness only had a scratch. It took Daddy to end the war and in the process, fully redeemed his honor in the eyes of all the Dragons. Daddy will make an excellent Grand Light. And, I could not be prouder of him. In many ways, baby, your Daddy is the strongest Dragon I know."

As they were talking though, something started to happen to Rachael. With Edward home, and the stress related to that gone, the baby "decided" that it was time.

It was at first a little cramping in the empath's body that came and went. It was enough that she noticed it and said, "Sweetheart...your revenge may have to wait."

That bit of news got Edward getting up and reaching her in a heartbeat.

"You're sure?" Edward asked.

"I've been having cramps since you got back," she said.

Victor scanned her with his medical program and he nodded, "It's time, dawg."

"Tell that bastard Nightmare that he gets two weeks to a month of extra living, but, I will not defer past that, please," Edward said to Sol.

Sol nodded in understanding.

"Nightwing," Edward requested, "It's time. Please bring my mom here. Raven, if you would?"

Raven chanted and a tear opened back to Edward's universe. It would be the first time since her misfired and unauthorized Tear that she would be back.

Nightwing stepped through and back to his Tower and merely said to Edward's mom: "You're about to be a grandma. We found Edward and recovered him. He's fine, but, wants you there."

"I'm ready to face the music," she said and they stepped through the tear.

Arella said, "She's having the baby?! I'm coming with you!"

Upon their return, she saw Sol and averted her gaze, "I know I am to be punished, Grand Light. Please, let me welcome my granddaughter first."

Sol said gently, "No punishment that the Circle could ever give you would compare to what you had to go through to find your son. We will discuss this after the baby is born. Go say hello to Edward."

Edward overheard the conversation and smiled to himself. He went over to her and hugged her as well.

"Welcome back, my child," she said.

"Grand-Aunt!" Susie said and went over to give her a hug. That got a smile out of her as Susie had won over Edward's Mother as well. Arella got a hug as well.

Rachael grasped her midsection and groaned.

That was the cue to get a gurney and Rachael was carefully helped onto it and they went to the Med-Bay.

Edward said, "It could be a while, folks. You might as well go watch some TV or something. The only ones we want in here are both Cyborgs and Raven. When I know something, you'll be updated."

There was some slight hesitation until Starborn said, "You heard him...Out!" That got the others to leave.

"I want mom here as well," Rachael said.

"Arella?" Edward called, "Rae wants you as well."

Thus the waiting game began...

**[Ops]**

The crew waited for word and Robin said to his counterpart, "God forbid that we get any missions, but, if we do: Your team doesn't have to come with us. We can handle things."

Nightwing nodded, "Thanks."

Solor, meanwhile, was pacing. He cared greatly for Rachael, and was hoping this would end without any complications. The only problem is that this was going to be a half-dragon child, so anything could happen.

"I hate waiting", he muttered, continuing his pacing. "I feel like I could do something, I just don't know what."

Kreinyol walked over to Solor, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It will be alright, husband Solor. Rachael is strong; she will get through this."

"That's not what I'm worried about", Solor said, sighing. "That baby could come out looking like... anything really. Because Edward is a hybrid dragon, I'm not sure what will happen. But for a very long time, we have been unable to have children with humans because of the... unpredictable results of what our DNA will do to the child."

Beast Boy nodded, understanding. "Yeah, I get what you mean. But all we're gonna be able to do is be there to support Edward and Rachael. So, just sit down and relax, dude. There isn't much to be done right now."

Solor let out another sigh. "Fine... you're right, Beast Boy." He walked over, taking a seat on the couch and getting Soskrein to climb into his lap.

"I know Aunt Rachael will be OK, daddy," Soskrein said, "And I can't wait to see the baby."

"We're all going to have to be patient," Terra said, "This is their first child and it could be a while."

"Edward's already got a son, remember," Tara reminded them, "He came out just fine."

"The results are unpredictable," Sol said.

Victor came in at the tail end of the discussion.

"Guys, chill," Victor said, "I ran a lot of scans during the pregnancy and from what we found is that while the baby will certainly look like a baby dragon there may be some human features. We're certain, though, that the dragon DNA will be dominant."

He pulled up the recent ultrasound scans and showed them around.

"But, we don't know everything," Solor said, "This is the first dragon-human hybrid in a long time. Edward and his first wife got lucky before because the enchantment didn't take another shapeshifter into account."

"How is she doing?" Soskrein asked.

"Well, the contractions have certainly started," he replied, "they are about 20 minutes apart, so, there is a long time, still. The labor pains are manageable as well. She's meditating her way through this right now.

"It'll be a few hours."

**[6 hours later]**

The gang had waited up for hours when there was an ear piercing scream throughout the upper floors of the tower.

"Hold her!" Cyborg said, as Rachael struggled.

"I got her," Edward said, "It's all right, Rae. I can give you some relief for a few minutes.

His eyes started glowing green as he activated another one of his abilities. He put his hand underneath Rachael's neck and started intercepting the intense pain before it reached her brain.

"It's OK, sweetheart," he said with a smile, before groaning in pain.

"Something's wrong," she said.

Victor scanned her and nodded, "The baby's spine ridges are in the way. They'll tear her vagina up. We're going to have to do a C-Section."

"Is anyone here capable of doing that?" Edward said. Oddly enough, both Cyborg and Victor shook their heads.

"Dammit!" Edward said, "Fine, luckily someone here has experience with this sort of thing."

Edward said to Rachael, "We're going to have to open you up, sweetheart. I won't be able to intercept the pain."

"Spinal block," she said. Cyborg got the requested medication and they carefully rolled her over and injected her between the C4 and C5 juncture and rolled her back.

"I want her on 75% oxygen, 5 L per minute," Edward said, "swab her with the Betadyne, wide strokes, please. Rib cage to pelvis."

Victor did as was asked. Edward went over to the sink and sterilized his arms and hands after getting the gown and mask on.

"Are we ready?" Edward said.

"Just get on with it," she said.

By then both Cyborgs were also ready.

"Keep an eye on their vitals," Edward said, "This shouldn't take long, I hope."

He started the operation, asking for various instruments and before long, he was looking at the sac that held the infant and Edward opened that up.

He reached in with loving hands and removed the infant from Rachael's body and he nodded to Victor: "Time of birth: 8:42 pm. Cut the cord, Uncle Victor, please."

She definitely looked like a hybrid. In fact, she looked a bit like Soskrein in form.

She took her first ever breath of air and let out a little squawk.

"Hi, baby girl," Edward said with a smile. He handed her to Rachael and said, "Stay with me a while, babe. I'll have you closed up in no time, and you can go into a healing trance."

"She's beautiful," Rachael said as the infant curled up and went to sleep after looking at Rachael and Edward. She seemed to accept them as her eyes closed.

Edward worked on closing the wound and 20 minutes later, he said, "She's closed up. Now, it's a matter of her healing trance."

He carefully lifted the baby and covered Rachael up.

"Rest, sweetheart," Edward said, giving her sleeping form a kiss. She started to float in place and Edward said, "She will need time to heal. Her healing trance kicked in. Just keep en eye on her vital signs. No offense, Cyborg, but, I'd feel more at ease if Stone did that part. He's been the one that knows more about this whole thing, outside of myself."

Cyborg nodded, "No offense taken, Edward."

He took the baby out to meet the others.

"Hi, guys!" Edward said, "We had a little problem, but, it's a girl!"

They gathered around and looked at the sleeping infant.

"Does she have any human features?" Solor asked.

"Not for a while, my brother," Edward said, "as she's 50% dragon DNA, she will look like this for a while. But, when she's old enough, I shall teach her what she needs to know. But, I think that she will look a lot like Raven in her human form."

Soskrein looked on the scene happily and said, "Is she my … what is the word?"

"Cousin?" Edward asked, "I suppose she is. But, I tell you what, little Susie. She can also be your baby sister, if you want. I owe you that much."

"Edward," Solor asked, "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"She asked," Edward said, "I wasn't going to lie to her, my brother. She knows what happened and she's fine with it. It was me who wasn't fine. I had worried that she would hate me. But, she forgave me in their place. Even your counterpart understood and wasn't angry. My loving niece told me what I needed to hear to help me. That's why, if Susie wants to call Cally her sister, I will not object."

Starborn put his hand on Edward's shoulders, "I am glad to hear that. I am also glad that my twin there is coming to grips with his issues. But, Susie, don't go around me like that anymore, please. There was a reason I told you that you needed to wait. But, this time, it's all right. I'm not angry at you."

"Don't get me wrong, Starborn," Edward said, "For the most part, he is still an ass at times, but, I can see where his banishment is slowly changing him for the better. He doesn't really need me there to mentor him. It will take longer, but, it will happen. And, I think he made his decision. Starfire pretty much told him how much she loves him before I had to restrain her. Don't expose Kreinyol to dragon pheromones, man. Or any non-Dragon female. Solor was very close to being raped had I not tracked him down with the help of their communicators. She put up a serious struggle. I was forced to use that armbar, but, I mentioned that. Solor had time to think about it and asked Starfire out right before I left, resulting in a very dejected and flightless Starfire so full of joy she started hovering. I'm glad I saw that."

He turned to Susie and said sternly, "I expect you to keep your word to Grandpa, young lady. No more possessing people or using the Tear Of Oblivion. Grandpa told you that you can be severely punished, right? Uncle has little say in meetings of the Circle and can't protect you should you be brought before them for breaking their laws, I hope that you will always remember that."

"He did, Uncle," Susie said, "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"No way!" Edward said, "You wanna know something? Aunt Rachael was my first choice to come through that Tear, pregnant or not. You, were my second choice! And to hear that your powers have woken up was a huge surprise. They shouldn't have activated for a while, yet."

The others waited patiently for their turn to at least see the newest arrival, who had woken up and wanted her first meal. Cally looked around and was certainly hungry! She let out several small sounds that reminded everyone of Soskrein's first few months.

"I hope in my absence that someone thought to get something for a baby dragon to eat," Edward said.

"Do not fret, Kiinnum," Sol said, "We knew you'd be out of practice and with a hybrid as well, we prepared specialized food for your daughter." Sol went over and asked, "May I?"

Edward handed the baby to Sol and a moment later he smiled, "The Light will shine strongly in this one, Edward. She will become a strong dragon as she gets older. The Circle will need to meet, as they did with you, Starborn and Soskrein. I will happily support a motion to allow her to be a part of Lair when she gets older. But, like you and Soskrein, it would be best to raise this whelp outside of Lair, for the same reasons."

"Sol," Edward said, "You know I have the very utmost of respect for all of the Circle, and you honor me, Rachael and Cally with your words. I do not think that Rachael would even allow the possibility of raising her within Lair, but, we will certainly visit Lair. I want her to learn her true heritages. But, right now, she looks like she wants you as her first meal!"

Everyone laughed at that one and they headed to where Edward and Sol could feed her.

Sol, while normally would have had prepared a meal of pure meat for the baby, had prepared something different. He held up a bottle for all of them to see. "This is a special formula that I have come up with. Depending on how the baby would be born, I had no idea what to feed her. So, I have mixed this with synthesized mother's milk, packed with essential nutrients for any normal human child. However, I have also mixed in high protein as well, since dragon's require a high amount of protein in their diet to grow at a steady rate. So, depending on how little Cally reacts to the formula, I will mix and remix with different portions until we find the right balance for her."

Solor nodded. "That is a good idea. Since Cally is half human, she should get the right amount of vitamins to supplement both of her sides of DNA."

Sol held little Cally gently, waiting for her to get hungry. After a moment, she opened her eyes, and looked at Sol curiously. He gently rocked her, keeping her calm, then offered the bottle to her. She sniffed it lightly, then took a tentative taste. Finally, she began feeding happily, much to everyone's relief.

"This is good", Solor said. "Then all we need is the recipe so that Edward can make it without having to come back every time Cally gets hungry."

Sol nodded. "I'll write it down for you. In the meantime, I think it would be more appropriate for Edward to feed Cally." Gently, Cally was passed over back to her father, and she cooed a bit before continuing to feed on the bottle.

Edward smiled, "Thanks, Sol. It was an honor, though, letting you give her part of her first meal."

"How long shall it be before Rachael shall recover?" Kreinyol asked. "I am sure she wishes to hold her bumgorf when she wakes up."

"It'll be a while", Sol replied. "If those spines are what caused that scream we heard earlier, then she's probably going to be out for a few hours before she recovers from her meditative trance."

Solor nodded. He looked at Cally, smiling happily. "She's beautiful." He held up Soskrein so she could get a better look. The instant they locked eyes, Susie smiled, and Cally let out a small giggle.

"I think we'll be best friends", Susie said. She reached out, gently touching the baby's cheek. Cally cooed happily and licked Susie's fingers, getting a giggle out of the youngster. Cally nibbled on Susie's finger, getting another giggle. "That tickles!" Susie said.

"Don't let Cally get used to that idea, Soskrein," Solor said gently, "Licking is OK, biting is not, even for a newborn. When her teeth erupt, you would find that it no longer tickles, but, would hurt."

"You're right," Edward said looking as Sol, "The spines would have made it impossible for Rachael to ever have another child as her … female parts would have been shredded. I had to do a C-Section on my own wife. Neither Victor or Cyborg were able to do that. Rachael will be out for the better part of the day but, she did get a moment with the baby before she had to go into the healing trance.

And, Soskrein...I have to back up what Daddy just said. I do not want Cally to hurt you, even by accident."

"Yeah, they have basic first aid training and some medical know-how," Nightwing said, "But, since they are not licensed doctors, they can't perform operations and other stuff like that...You're licensed, right, Edward?"

"Man, don't even go there," Edward said, "You guys know that I am credentialed as a precaution."

He looked at Sol and said, "I'm certain that Rachael will insist on using her own milk. Will that be usable in this mixture?"

"It will be," Sol replied, "But, she will not be able to breast feed Cally. She may develop baby teeth relative quickly and they will likely be pointed as a result of her being a carnivore. I don't think she would want damaged goods."

"I know she wouldn't," Raven said pointedly, "I know I would not want to be chewed up there. If she is anything like me, she enjoys the attention Edward shows … that area." Robin had the decency to blush heavily hearing that bit of news.

Edward also blushed heavily. Solor almost burst out laughing, but Kreinyol decided to keep Solor from laughing too hard. "I'd be careful, Husband. I happen to enjoy that attention to my _Grebnaks_ as well." Solor bit his tongue, causing everyone to laugh at his discomfort.

"Not my fault that they're fun to play with", Solor muttered in Dragon.

"What is?" Susie asked, having heard him.

"You'll find out when your older", Solor quickly said, keeping her from being too curious.

In the meantime, Edward was a bit preoccupied with Cally, when Cyborg walked in. "Yo, Edward. We have a special crib sitting next to Rachael, so you can wait with her. She looks like she's recovering slowly, so it might be a while, but at least Cally won't be too far from Rachael while you wait."

Edward smiled, nodding. "Thanks, Cyborg. I'll head back there soon."

Solor smiled, and turned to Susie. "Well, it looks like we can finally have fun again. I'm sorry we've been pushing you so hard, Susie. You wanna fly to the ice cream parlor and get a sundae?"

The instant reaction was for Susie's eyes to go wide. "Really?"

"Of course." He reached over, pulling Kreinyol close. "Let's go as a family. It's been a while since we've been able to hang out, just the three of us. Let's go take a walk around the city, get some ice cream."

"Brother?" Edward started to ask.

"We'll bring you back something, Edward," Solor said, "You've had a long enough day as it is. But, next time we visit, it's your treat."

Edward nodded, "Of course, and, thanks!"

Susie smiled widely, and quickly took off towards the roof. Solor chuckled, and shared a kiss with his wife, before they began following.

Beast Boy and Terra turned to each other. "We should do something, too", Beast Boy said. "Wanna go see the new Wicked Scary movie?"

"You had me at something", Terra said, smiling before they both headed out as well.

Robin, meanwhile, walked over to Raven, kissing her cheek. "I'm glad everyone's back together and happy again."

Raven let out a small smile. "You and me both, Robin. Without Edward, I'm sure Rachael would have driven us crazy."

"What are you talking about? I barely noticed she was here", Robin said, smiling. "Besides... the only thing she did was drink all of our herbal tea."

"My favorite kind", Raven said, smirking. "Counterpart or not, if she ever does that again, I'm banishing her to another dimension."

"She can teleport back", Robin pointed out. "That makes it kinda pointless."

"You're my boyfriend, you're supposed to agree with me", Raven said.

"I would... but Rachael's essentially a more powerful version of you. I'd rather not get on either of your bad sides, and, given Edward's protective nature towards his family...do you really want to be on the wrong end of his wrath?"

Raven smirked. "Good choice", she said, kissing him lightly. "Shall we go meditate?"

"Sure."

Edward rolled his eyes. He'd have to buy Raven more herbal tea later on and make it up to her that way.

And for the first time in a month at Titan's Tower, there was peace.


	10. Nightmare's End, Planning and Playing

**Chapter 10****  
****[Titan's Tower - 1 Month Later]**

In the past month since Edward's return to his home and family, plenty of events had occurred. With Soskrein's development, she had finally gotten control of her glowing eyes. She was glad of that; she didn't like scaring her human friends at the park. She was also now able to fly around the tower as much as she wanted, but if she wanted to go in the city, she needed someone to go with her, since she still got lost every now and then.

Edward had made a special delivery run a week after getting Rachael and Cally settled in. He picked up two cases of Raven's favorite herbal tea and told her that it was to make up for Rachael taking her supply, with interest. She tried to reject it and, for once, Edward put his foot down saying, "Raven, you put up with my Rach for almost a month and didn't complain that she drank your tea supply. You do not have a say this time, my sister. It's my way of apologizing and thanking you at the same time for tolerating Rachael's concern, probably her impatience, and for helping train Soskrein. And, to be honest...this is my favorite kind of herbal tea as well."

Solor and Kreinyol were a little closer to their wedding day, and needless to say, Kreinyol was getting a little antsy. She wanted everything to be perfect for her big day, and she was working on getting Galfore to come to her wedding as well. He, of course, was more than happy to come, and meet Solor in a circumstance other than business. The two had gotten along when Solor stopped Blackfire's plan to wed her sister to an alien, and needless to say, when Galfore arrived to take a short vacation, they bonded even more.

And by bonded, I mean that they sparred a lot and had a few feasts, much to the team's discomfort.

"He's going to be my father-in-law" Solor said, trying to keep them from getting mad. "I want to get along with him as much as possible. I'll try to tone it down, and I am sorry that we've been bugging you guys." After that, Solor spoke to Galfore, and the two toned it down a bit.

And now, Galfore wished to meet Edward. So, Solor grabbed his communicator, and rang up the new father. "Solor calling Edward, come in."

After a moment or two, Edward appeared on the screen. "Hey, Brother. How are you doing?"

"Doing alright, Brother", Solor said, smiling. "I actually have someone here to see you. Would you mind if we opened up a Tear and bring you over? You have some unfinished business here, anyway, and I think Nightmare will be ready for your fight."

Edward nodded. "Give me a minute; I gotta take care of Callisto really quick, and I'll give a ring when I'm ready."

Solor nodded, walking over to Galfore. "Alright, see you soon." Closing the communicator, he turned to his future father-in-law. "He shall arrive in a few minutes. I hope that is alright."

"It is fine, young one", Galfore replied. "I know too well the challenges raising a child brings. After all, watching after Koriand'r, Komand'r, and Ryand'r was a challenge in itself."

That caused Solor to furrow his brows. "Ryand'r? I don't recognize that name. Does Kreinyol have a sibling I do not know of?"

Galfore sighed. "I knew she would not speak of him. Ryand'r is your beloved's little brother. He is the youngest of the royal family, and was Starfire's best friend when they were very young. When she was taken from Tamaran as a prize of the Gordanians, Ryand'r went missing, and we have not seen him since. She has asked me many times about the search... but we simply cannot find him."

Solor brought his claws to his chin. "I hope that we can find him in the future. I am sure they miss each other very much." He then shook his head. "Let's keep this conversation between us. I don't want to upset Kreinyol if she hears me talking about her missing brother."

"Agreed. The mere mention of his name may depress her."

Solor then turned to see his daughter walking in. "Hey, Susie", he said, smiling as she walked over to him and allowed him to pick her up. "How was your sleep last night?"

"It was good", Susie replied. "I'm a little worried about today, though... Is Uncle Edward gonna be fighting that dragon today?"

"Yes", Solor said, his smile fading. "Nightmare has gone unpunished for long enough. We need to show him the justice he deserves for thinking of killing you and framing Uncle Beast Boy. He also went against Aunt Vilea's orders, Susie. She has agreed to allow this fight as an example of what would happen if others got the same idea to not do as they were told."

Susie raised her eyebrows, "Oh."

"Worried about your Uncle?" Solor asked, "Don't be. I'd be more worried about Nightmare...if I were a dark dragon. Uncle's got the advantage."

Galfore nodded and said, "Is this challenge anything like a challenge for the crown?"

"Not quite," Solor said, "A bloodbath is a fight to the death. It is requested when two dragons have an issue to settle where only death ensure that the matter is dropped. In this case, Edward was banished to another universe for almost a month when his Raven was pregnant. The one who banished him was on the losing end of a very long war that Edward helped to end."

"And I will be repaying that debt," Edward said as he walked in.

He switched to Tamaranian and said, "Galfore, it is an honor to meet you, sire." He saluted him in the Tamaranian way as well.

His eyes went wide, of course, "He knows our language!"

"I was taught by another Koriand'r," Edward explained, "Solor has told you I am not native to this reality?"

"He has," Galfore replied.

By then, Soskrein had practically tackled Edward, of course. There weren't that many that Edward allowed to do that and, Soskrein was one of those folks. Edward had already noticed that her eyes were not glowing and he was pleased at that one.

"How's my favorite niece doing?" Edward asked.

"I'm Ok," she said.

"Susie," Edward said, "You do not sound OK to me. Are you worried?"

"I am," she admitted, "What if you get hurt?"

"Sweetie, I already explained all that," Edward said, "I'll be fine. It's Nightmare who needs to be worried. He knows that his time is limited."

Solor thought about it, then decided to voice another opinion. "Actually, Edward, there is one reason for concern. Nightmare does have the power of possession. Should you succeed in killing him, he may try to take control of your body in the last second."

"Can he do that?" Susie asked.

"Yeah. If he succeeds, though, then he would have to fight Edward on a daily basis to ensure he is not ejected and forced to rot in Oblivion", Solor mused. "And even then, he would have to live the rest of his life in exile. Should he attempt to live Edward's life, he'd have to learn how to 'be' Edward. A very difficult task. Not impossible, but he would be found out sooner or later."

"So, there's no way that mean dragon can win", Susie decided. She smiled. "Thanks, Daddy. That makes me feel better."

"Sweetie," Edward said, "Even if Nightmare did that, Aunt Rachael would know right away. And so would Aunt Raven. In fact, they both have been working on knowing when someone is possessed. Uncle Jericho has been helping them."

Galfore stroked his beard. "I have to admit, when my bumgorf told me about your people, I was a little confused. Such powerful, intelligent creatures, and yet some of the most humble I have ever met."

"Thank you for the compliment, Galfore", Solor said. "But I am a mere father, and future husband. I would rather live to make my family happy than to control the world." He smiled happily, pulling Soskrein into a hug. "I wouldn't want a million planets to control in exchange for my family."

Galfore smiled. "Then you will be indeed a grand husband for my Starfire. Thank you very much for taking care of her."

"Back home, sire," Edward said, "I'm the only full-blooded Dragon ... or I was until my Mother showed up. And, I never even wanted to control my version of Earth. I do not like slavery, period. Had I known that your bumgorf was destined to be a slave, I would have joined the Teen Titans at that point and shown them what a truly angry Dragon is capable of. But, that is in the past, sire."

"You need not call me by an honorific, Edward," Galfore said, "I see that you respect my ways. That is plenty for me." He smiled at Edward.

Edward smiled, happy that the two were getting along. He had never seen them interact, so he was slightly worried that their personalities would clash, but it seemed that was a moot point. Besides, perhaps because they were both proud warriors, they would have gotten along anyway.

Susie managed to get her father to let her go. "I'm gonna go and play with Uncle Beast Boy. Without being invited, the rest of the team isn't allowed into Lair, right?"

Solor nodded. "Yes, sweetie. And while I'd love to take you with as well, I'm a little concerned some dragons might try to hurt you. It's better if you're here with the team." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be back soon, baby girl. Be good to your k'norfka while I'm gone."

"I will!" she said. She turned, and did a Tamaranian salute to Galfore, which got the Emperor of Tamaran to drop his jaw again as she left the room.

"She knows Tamaranian tradition?" he asked, turning to Solor.

"Yeah", Solor said. "Kreinyol has been teaching her the Tamaranian language, customs, and history. I, myself, have decided it's time I learn the language as well. I only know a few words right now, but I'm sure I'll know the rest of the language by the end of the year."

"You mentioned her k'norfka", Galfore asked. "Is her mother here? Starfire mentioned that she was a dragon hybrid."

"No", Solor replied. "Starfire watches over Soskrein when I'm not here. She loves her as if she was her own daughter, so she has asked Susie to call her k'norfka or Mommy."

Galfore smiled at that. "I should have expected that from her transmissions. She is a beautiful young girl. Will she be a warrior, like her father?"

Solor was quiet at that. He hadn't exactly thought of that. While his life had been full of violence and war, this was the first time of peace for dragons in a very long time. Should he teach her to fight like him? Should she be ready to take on both mortal and dragon enemies?

Edward noted his hesitation to answer, and spoke up. "Solor knows what's best for his daughter. Even if he is a bit... inexperienced in this matter, I trust him to know what's best for his family."

Solor smiled gratefully at Edward, then spoke to Galfore. "Excuse us, Galfore, but we need to head to Lair. There is a certain dragon who has a date with his poor decisions."

"Understood. I have kept you both long enough. But, I need to say one more quick thing to Edward: In recognition of your service to Tamaran in helping defeat Trigon, and, under my authority as Emperor, you are granted an honorary citizenship. Should there be a reason to visit our planet, you will be welcomed." Galfore gave a salute. "X'hal", he said, before he headed off to find Susie and Starfire.

Edward said, "Let's get this over with. And, thanks for the warning about Nightmare's little backup plan. He won't like what he sees should he try to possess me. I've only allowed Jericho in because he's one of us and it helped him learn more about Dragons in the process. That little dragon Nightmare will now learn what it is to anger me. I've had a month to plan this fight out in my mind and meditate on keeping my anger in check. I've been training with Garfield as well, seeing how he can morph into a green copy of me."

Edward morphed to his min-dragon form and said, "Might as well get on, brother, unless you're allowed to open a Tear to Lair?"

Solor smirked and said, "Since I was formally reinstated as the Heir to the Light, that means all privileges as well.

"Bex Nu! Luv du Oblivion!"

A portal opened and that led right to Lair. They stepped into it and emerged in Lair itself.

"The Circle awaits us, Kiinnum," Sol said, walking up, "I will go over the rules of combat with you. It will be your final opportunity to withdraw honorably, for once the battle starts, to withdraw shall result in a Coward's Sending."

"I've had plenty of time to consider this, Grand Light," Edward said, "Have you ever seen me withdrawing from a fight, even knowing that I could lose? You saw me fighting Oblaan, the Traitor. Nightmare is not even close to what I faced then. No, I shall not be withdrawing, brothers. Let's get this started."

Sol nodded. "Alright. If we are going to give Nightmare a good and fair fight before he is defeated, then we will need to limit your abilities, unfortunately. As this will be a public match in all of Lair upon the request of Vilea, then it will not do for you to outright kill him right away. Therefore... no full powered flame, lightning or frost breath. No teleportation, and no possession." Sol thought about it more, then decided on something. "And last but not least, no shapeshifting, although that should go without saying. If you transform into another form, it makes it easier to kill you."

Edward nodded, "I was going to let Nightmare have a fair fight regardless, so, your terms are agreed to. To just kill Nightmare in the first swipe of my talons, to me, is dishonorable. I have sworn never again to kill a defenseless dragon. Let him defend himself as a warrior ought to. Let him have a warrior's death. And, yeah, I do assume the weaknesses of other creatures. It's a pain in the neck...and hopefully not literally. I can't possess anyone, but, Starborn said that Nightmare, if he sees he's about to die, may try to possess me. Is there any way to prevent that from happening?"

"Unfortunately, no", Sol said. "Unless you have a ridiculously strong mind that he wouldn't even be able to enter, then the only way to keep him from doing this is to kill him fast enough that he has no time to attempt to take control."

Solor nodded. "And unlike Raven, the soul-self of a dragon can be undetectable. So unless you can sense him as he's leaving his body, it'll be rather difficult to shield yourself when he tries. But I have confidence that you'll be the victor."

"Would he be able to possess me if there were someone else there to be a guardian. Raven or Rachael's not the only one who can do that trick. One of the Titans back home can also do a possession and he's used to possessing me, yet, leaving me in control of my body," Edward said, "If the answer is no, that's fine, I will merely have to be sure that my mental shields are at full strength, and that means cutting my links to any telepath I allow in. It'll be worth it, though."

"Perhaps", Sol mused. "I do not know about that part very well. As most Dragons possess for the intent to control, I do not know about guardians."

Edward thought about it and said, "No, we'll play this one straight. I don't think it is fair to have a hidden advantage. If neither Rachael or Raven are here for this to give me a head's up and an overt advantage, then, having Jericho tucked away wouldn't be fair, and he would be exposed to any pain Nightmare would inflict, regardless. I do not think the human brain is really designed to cope with that, should it happen."

Solor nodded. "I agree. It would be without honor to purposely keep yourself invulnerable to certain attacks when you have the strength to push against it anyway." Solor shook his head. "And that would be outside aid, anyway, which is against the rules. So, I'm afraid it would be shot down."

"True," Edward said, "If this is like the Challenge for the Crown on Tamaran, then, it's fitting that there is no outside assistance. But, I would like to give Raven a head's up to watch for any changes in my personality that she would know is a sign of being possessed. Nightmare cannot pull off acting like me for long. He would slip up. Is that allowed, since it would be after the fight?"

"Of course", Sol said. "After one of the bodies have died, whatever happens afterward is not restricted by the rules of Bloodbath. Therefore, if your wife notices something different about you, she is allowed to expel the sore loser from your body."

[Raven?] Edward said via the link, [I want you to keep an eye on me after this is over. If you sense a second dragon in my mind, get Rachael and you both will have to enter my mind and help me evict an unwanted, sore loser.]

[You didn't even have to ask], Raven said. [We both thought of this, considering that we had to save Soskrein from his mind. If he tries anything, then we're not going to just evict him. His soul is going to Trigon.]

Edward's face paled and Sol asked what was said. Edward's reply: "Nightmare's soul has a date with Trigon the Terrible."

[Her words, not mine] Raven clarified.

[I'm not surprised! I bet she was livid after his little banishment trick. She's never threatened anyone with a date with your collective father. He'd rather be damned by a God to Hell.]

He relayed that it was Rachael who would happily provide Trigon with a meal. Then again, Solor and Sol were aware of that...as was Nightmare.

Solor took wing. "Come. We must head to the pit. There, the match will begin."

Edward followed and soon they were landing in a deep and very large pit, more than large enough for even a couple of Earth Dragons to fight in. There were already a lot of dragons there watching this showdown, all separated by clan, of course.

Edward landed in the pit itself, figuring that if there were any introductions, one of the Circle would provide that duty.

Nightmare was also there, but, shackled down until the fight would start, then, it would be removed from the arena.

"Brothers and Sisters!" Sol declared. "Children of the Circle! We gather today for a tradition long passed down by our ancestors!"

"Nightmare, Traitor of the Dark Dragons, has committed a heinous offense against Kiinum, Commander of the Circle!" Fire roared.

"Thus begins the vicious cycle of the Bloodbath!" Earth rumbled.

"One shall live", Life said, glaring at Nightmare.

"And one shall die", said the new Grand Death. He looked just like his predecessor, but he was much younger than the original. He also looked a tad bit more vicious than the elder, but that was just his looks. He was actually very kind and understanding, and bonded with Edward rather quickly. He was the only dragon in the Circle to not enforce the averting of eyes tradition.

"The winner is decided by who is stronger, and can overcome their obstacles", Water continued.

"The loser shall be fed to the scavengers, forever disgraced by their failure", Vilea finished.

"Release the prisoner!" Sol ordered. Two beams of Light shot out from a pair of Light dragon guards that were watching over Nightmare, breaking the chains that held him down, but keeping the collar around his neck.

Nightmare growled slowly as he stood up, glaring at the Circle. "When I am done with all of you, you shall wish that you never turned your back on the Darkness!" He then turned to Edward, growling. "But first... I will enjoy removing your smug head from your body."

"And you will wish you had never violated the orders of the new Grand Darkness. You will wish you had never threatened my niece's very life when she is not only under the protection of the Exalted Circle, but, MY protection as well. You will wish you had never hurt my mate when your soul itself is ripped from your body and fed to the one being that ALL dragons fear: Trigon the Terrible.

"Let us fight, like true warriors."

Edward decided to keep the element of surprise intact as far as his breath weapons were concerned.

Nightmare for a split second showed fear when he heard Edward's statement about being Trigon's dinner, but, quickly charged Edward, waiting to end the fight quickly. Edward was prepared for that opening charge and dove out of the way before lashing out with his tail and striking Nightmare, staggering him.

"Come on," Nightmare taunted, "Surely that's not all you got. Where is that breath weapon you used against me when I took control of your precious friend and held your Breed Traitor wife?"

Edward would not take the bait, though.

"That dog won't hunt," Edward said and fired off a fireball. It was something that wasn't magical in nature, so, he had been practicing with that since the end of the war.

Nightmare was able to duck the blast that hit the wall of the pit, scorching the impact site.

Nightmare fired his own breath weapon, black flames. Edward countered with his ice breath and both weapons cancelled out. Edward charged as did Nightmare. It turned into a game of chicken, though, as Nightmare swerved at the last moment. It did not matter as Edward's wings flared out and struck Nightmare in the head, stunning him for a moment.

Nightmare growled as he shook off the impact.

"Where is the vaunted strength?" Nightmare taunted, "or are you as weak as that little Twilight dragon I should have killed?"

"As I recall being told," Edward said, "my niece kicked your ass."

So, that taunt didn't get Edward riled, either. Thing is Edward was holding back a bit, waiting until the right moment to pounce and show Nightmare just why it wasn't a good idea to have even thought about killing Soskrein or harming both Ravens.

Nightmare decided an air attack might be a smart move and took to the air. It turned out to be a bad play at Edward was able to mentally plot out Nightmare's path and as soon as Nightmare reached a certain height, his ridges lit up for a brief moment a nice white color and a blast of lightning erupted. Even at a third of its power, it was enough to punch a hole in a wing. Nightmare roared in pain and surprise as he plunged to the ground with a crash that shook the pit.

The clans all cheered their hero, with some Dark Dragons who had proved that they earned the right to be there weren't as enthused with that move. Edward had to ignore the crowd, regardless.

"Advantage, Kiinnum," Solor said to Sol, "Nightmare cannot fly again."

"That was a smart move on his part, son," Sol said, "He's letting Nightmare fight like a warrior. This could go on a while."

Nightmare roared, "You dare take away my flight...I shall rip you to shreds for that!"

"What's wrong, Nightmare? You wanted first blood, didn't you? Sorry to disappoint, but, that counting coup belongs to me. Get ready to run from Trigon," Edward snarled, "That was minor. I can end this anytime I desire, but, you will not die quickly."

Nightmare's left wing had a big enough hole in the membrane that he was rendered flightless and the impact had injured one of his legs, making him limp slightly.

Edward, however, took to the air and pulled off the same trick that Nightmare probably had planned, and that was diving onto his opponent with both landing feet (his back feet), resulting in a loud thud and cracking sound. Nightmare did manage to get his talons raised in time and managed to injure Edward.

That got a mixed reaction out of the assembled dragons as Edward looked down to see several fairly deep scratches starting to heal up.

"Second blood," Edward remarked, "I'll give you that one."

"Oh, I'll take more than that," Nightmare said and lashed out, trying to bite Edward's neck. It didn't work as well as Nightmare planned as even though Nightmare did some damage, Edward returned the favor with a viselike grip.

Edward took to the air again and the dragons with the right view saw a flash of lightning that forced Nightmare to release his grip. Edward also released and Nightmare fell again to the cheers of the various clans.

Nightmare fell on his back that time, driving his ridges into the ground. He was quite stuck.

"OBLIVION DAMN YOU!" Nightmare screamed in frustration as Edward dove again. Edward extended his talons and opened several gashes in Nightmare's softer underbelly.

The crowd roared its approval, and even the Dark Dragons were starting to get impressed with the display.

"I think Kiinnum is about to finish this," Fire said to Water.

"It does look that way," Water remarked.

"I hope that Kiinnum will give his opponent a quick death," the new Grand Death said.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Solor remarked, "He has every reason to let Nightmare's death be a slower one. He's fighting to avenge my daughter and the pain his mate went through. He may opt to return that favor many times over."

"Shouldn't you be avenging Soskrein?" Sol asked.

"I should be, but, Edward was just as hurt. He had to tell her about the other whelp ... the one he killed," Solor explained, "I do not think he wanted to tell her, but, he couldn't just lie to her. I think he's fighting to avenge the whelp as well. I can't deny Edward that right."

As the conversation between the leaders was happening, Nightmare managed to free himself, but, that took a lot of his remaining strength.

And, the blood loss from the gouges Edward laid on Nightmare were taking a toll as well. It did not look good for Nightmare and he knew it.

Yet, Nightmare fought back. Edward and Nightmare traded blows back and forth for another 15 minutes until Edward landed a brutal blow that threw Nightmare into the far wall of the pit. Nightmare slid down and remained motionless.

The crowd roared, "FINISH THE TRAITOR!" and it grew into a chant.

Edward nodded and walked over to Nightmare.

[Girls...It's time. Send his soul to Trigon!]

Edward delivered the _Coup de Grace_ by lifting Nightmare's head and woke him up.

"Good-bye, Nightmare!" Edward roared, "For the harm you did, I end this. I send your soul to TRIGON!" He forced Nightmare's jaw apart and breathed a strong lightning blast down his enemy's throat. When Edward was done, Nightmare's body fell limp. Edward dropped the head a moment later. He didn't even have to use a full powered blast, he merely maintained the attack longer to compensate.

As the assembled dragons watched, Nightmare's soul rose from his body and was fighting a force that couldn't be defeated. It only lasted for a moment then, all was still.

Edward had won the fight and the crowd started to roar their approval. Edward bowed as the members of the Circle rose and averted his gaze, per tradition.

Sol spoke out. "The victor is Kiinum!"

"By right of victory, he may leave the pit!" Vilea roared. "Know that Nightmare shall not be mourned! He shall remain to rot and be consumed by the insects and scavengers of the Earth!" Already, bugs were rising from the dirt, climbing onto the new carcass.

"Know that should any crimes against Kiinnum or Soskrien be reported to the Circle, you will be answering to us, and Nightmare may find company in the pit!" Fire roared. "Kiinnum, you may return home. Solor, if you would like to open the portal..."

All of a sudden, a tear opened into the pit, and _another_ dark dragon entered. Everyone was instantly on edge, getting ready to attack, when Vilea roared, gathering everyone's attention. "Bloodborn, why are you here?" she asked, growling. "You haven't come for Nightmare, have you?"

"My brother is dead", the newcomer said. "Even if you honorless dogs here in Lair will not bury him, I will. Let me take him, and I will leave in peace for now."

"For now?" Grand Death said, glaring. "You would tell us that you plan to attack us in the future?"

"I have no plans", Bloodborn said. "Our new leader, however does. I am merely here to collect the body of my younger brother. Let me take him and bury him."

"Absolutely not!" Vilea screamed, glaring at him. "You and your brother defected from me! You have spit upon my name and title as Grand Darkness! Tell me why I should not murder you here!"

"Vilea", came the surprise voice of reason from Solor. "Stand down."

"What?!" Vilea asked, growling. "You side with this Traitor?!"

"I care not for those that will not fight for peace", Solor said, "so do not mistake my pity for sympathy. I merely am motioning... to let this brother mourn his loss. When he dies, he will not see his brother by the First's side, for his soul feeds Trigon. Let him grieve."

Sol and the rest of the Circle was silent. They didn't like the idea of letting a Dark Dragon go so easily... but eventually Vilea spoke up.

"Take your corpse, Bloodborn", she said, snarling. "And unless you come to me apologizing... do not let me see your face again."

"Bloodborn," Edward warned, "Do NOT make the mistake of ever thinking that you will avenge your brother against me or ANYONE I CALL FAMILY for I shall show you no quarter and no mercy. And, I stand with Vilea, my sister by right. Show your face around Lair again unless you are defecting, and risk the full might of the Circle crashing down upon you. Be gone before I petition the Circle to engage you in BloodBath! And call me or the Circle honorless again, and I shall show you the true meaning of Honor! For it was your brother who was without honor. Vilea is trying to bring YOUR clan back to an honorable state and to dishonor her wishes brings dishonor upon you, your departed and decapitated brother and all who stand with you. Take your First Damned corpse and bury it for all I care. Members of the Circle, I only support this action because in my world, Malchior and another Dark Dragon lay side by side, deeply buried. They received no honors from me or my extended family. I spit upon Nightmare's corpse, Bloodborn, and I curse his very name and his broods. And I curse all those Dark Dragons who refuse steps towards reunification and you take this warning back to them: Harm Starborn, Heir to the Light, his family here in Lair, his child or any member of the Teen Titans and NO ONE SAVE THE FIRST SHALL DIVERGE MY WRATH, I swear this upon the First! Are we understood?" As the Bloodbath was over, Edward started to allow his spine to glow and flash dangerously, but, he refrained from taking it to the next level and allowed the glow to fade on its own,

Bloodborn nodded, and averted his gaze to look upon his dead brother. He gathered the body in his arms, breathing a small amount of flames to free it from pests. He then opened another Tear, leaving Lair as quickly as he had come.

"This isn't over," Bloodborn said in parting.

The Circle was somewhat surprised to hear Edward's threat and warning. They all understood now that Edward would fight to protect his family regardless of who would try to stop him.

Solor, in the meantime, had opened another Tear. "Kiinnum", he said, gaining Edward's attention. "Let us return home. Our families are waiting for us. And, we need to talk, brother after your anger has cooled."

Edward nodded, "Let's go." They entered the Tear and upon arriving at the Tower, Rachael and Raven both laid hands on Edward's head and made sure that he was OK.

Rachael nodded, "I only sense my husband in there."

Raven said, "I concur. Nightmare did not get a chance to possess him."

"Thanks," Edward said with a sigh, "It's over, for now. Nightmare is dead, his soul is gone to Trigon. But, Starborn, this peace is not as lasting as I had hoped. This other Dragon will be leading a resistance I think. While Vilea is the Grand Darkness, I fear those still loyal to the previous regime will cause all clans no end of grief. My job as Commander...might not done yet."

"That is where you are wrong, Brother", Solor said grimly. "You are a father now. If they are going to attempt another war with us, with at least two thirds of their ranks joining our side... they may have something on their side that can counter the immortality. It may be hollow threats, but... it would be best if you sit this one out." He looked out toward the world, still talking. "We are not as powerless this time around to fight. When the last war ended, it was with your help because of the unexpected inclusion of Trigon the Terrible. On the other hand, these dragons that are still against us are much too old to give birth to future generations. And if they do have something to counteract your immortality, then it's only a matter of us using our forces to overpower theirs. Even with your strength, you can only fight for so long. And... I will NOT lose another Brother to this damn war." Solor turned, his gaze steeled. He knew Edward would try anything to get him to change his mind. "As Heir to the Light, I am pulling rank and ordering you to stand down this time around, and let us handle this small rebellion."

Edward sighed, "I do not like this. However, you have a point. I will stand down, as requested. But, I would like to remain available to advise, as I have done with the military in my world. I will have my hands full with Cally anyway as well as with my own friends with missions that are certainly not going to be as difficult as a lifetime raising a daughter and being a godfather. I would have not wanted this last fight, but, it was needed. I promised you and the Circle that I would join in keeping Soskrein safe. And, Solor...you did not have to give me an order. I'm not as stubborn as you at times. I know that look and that tone of voice that says, 'I have made up my mind...don't bother trying to change it.' But, know this: If Soskrein comes to harm, you will not stop me from exacting a terrible revenge upon them. Should I allow my temper to be fully released, the Dark Lair will look like a city after Godzilla has gone through it. I promised the Circle that I would join them in protecting her ... and you know I keep my word. And do not mistake something: If Bloodborn or his brothers attempt to harm Soskrein, Raven, Rachael or both teams of Titans, I meant every word I said back there. Not even you will be able to get me from destroying them utterly. Raven isn't the only one who can and will send souls to Trigon. You forget that I have their powers now. I merely refrain from using those to try to keep fights fair as possible. And, I know as Soskrien's father, you would rather stand with me anyway. I was not angry at Bloodborn's retrieving of Nightmare's corpse, but, they will go after the weakest links. I know that is what I would do if I had not learned what true honor is. I wouldn't be fighting against a small rebellion, that's up to you folks to fight. But, they would make it VERY personal, my brother. If that happens, I'll tell you right now: Stay outta my way."

Solor sighed, letting the gaze drop. "I am sorry, Brother, but you can be as stubborn as me, especially when you want to fight for something. It still stands, though. I don't want you fighting against this rebellion, should they show their faces while you're here." He turned to Kreinyol and Soskrein as they approached him. "Besides... I'd rather not focus on them. If they truly do not have anything to fight against immortality, then there is nothing to worry about. I'd rather focus on planning for Kreinyol's and mine wedding. We only have one more month before the day arrives."

Edward looked at his niece and smiled, letting the other matter drop for the time being. He allowed Soskrein to pounce on him in their usual game and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Nightmare is gone?" Kreinyol asked.

"For good," Edward said, "Where he is at, there is no returning, and no hope for him."

"Good," she said, her voice icy cold, "The clorbag got what he deserved."

That surprised Edward a bit, but, he didn't let that show. She was a lot different than the Kori that Edward knew now. Kreinyol was very offended that Nightmare had the guts to even think about harming her bumgorf, so, hearing that Edward eliminated that threat was all right in her warrior's mindset.

"You got even for my siblings?" Susie asked.

"They can rest in peace, sweetheart...and so can your Uncle sleep easier tonight as well, I got even for you, too, Susie. He had no right to even want to harm you and to try to send you to the First was worthy of the beating he got. When you were a month old, I gave my word that I would protect you and I almost failed in that. But, don't worry about if I will beat myself up over that. Nightmare's demise has given me the sense of redemption I needed. Your Uncle would flatten any Dark Dragon who tries to hurt you, and, so would Daddy, K'norfka, and Aunt Vilea. Even if Aunt Vilea and I were still enemies, for you, I would set that aside and fight alongside her. But, I consider Auntie Vilea to be my sister-in-arms now. She had worked hard to get the Dark Dragons back into Lair and Nightmare didn't want that. A message was sent as well, sweetie. No one messes with my family, ever!" he said honestly. A huge burden was finally gone as two main players in the war were dead and the third one was the newly named Grand Darkness and actually allowed to be IN the Circle at times. Trigon was blocked from two universes, and, he knew that the Teen Titans in that original universe would have the time to prepare and their history had a good chance of playing out normally. He was not expecting to go back there and the Solor that lived there would be OK.

Soskrein smiled at that, and nuzzled Edward a bit. She then jumped down, landing on her feet. "Well, let's go have fun! I want to go play!"

Solor couldn't help but smile. But he was thinking of what Galfore said. "Why don't you go find Galfore?" he asked her. "We have something to talk about before we go to the park or something."

Susie looked a bit suspicious, but nodded, and ran out. Solor then turned to the others.

"Guys... I have a question about... Soskrein." He sighed, walking over to the couch and sitting down, motioning for them to follow. Raven and Kreinyol sat next to him, while Edward and Rachael sat a bit away from them. "I... am conflicted. Should I let Susie learn to fight like us? Should I expect her to become a Titan for Jump City? Or should I try to keep her from becoming a soldier? I understand that times are very different now. A war that my people have been fighting for millions of years has ended, at my hand, no less. It is a time of peace. Should I let her enjoy the peace? Or should I prepare her for a possibility that might never happen?"

Edward thought about it and said, "There's something that the other Solor said to me and that is we forge our own paths. Here, your path led you back to Lair, back into the Circle's good graces and your title and honor restored. His path will lead a different direction. The price of peace, brother, is eternal vigilance. It's something that countries tend to forget, and that I hope Lair doesn't forget. My suggestion is to train her to at least be able to defend herself if attacked. If she wants to be a soldier for Lair, then, respect that choice. If she only wants to be a member of the Titans for a season in her life, it should be encouraged as well. All of the Titans will one day want to retire from this business and move on. Some may want to settle down under a civilian identity and never wear their costume again. They'll burn out, in other words.

"Sadly, there's always the chance that anyone of them could fall in battle. Then again, Soskrein may want to lead a future team of Titans. She has a long time, I hope, to see where her path leads. And, Starborn, this is something for the distant future, as least in human terms. You know that someday, your father will retire and pass his title and power to you. You will see everyone you know and love wither and die. You will see Soskrein age and yes, pass onto the First. You will see Kreinyol grow older and eventually, she will be called by the First. She may see a longer than normal lifespan because she is yours, but, your duplicate said that she will grow old regardless ... and when that happens, we both shall sing the Sending Song in her honor. When it is time for you to select an heir and have the others in the Circle approve it, then, you know what the heir will be capable of. Listen to your heart."

Solor, for the first time, considered the mortality of those around him. He didn't want any of them to die, especially Soskrein, but he knew it would be selfish to keep them alive as long as he was. Even then, he lacked the power to do so. "I... I haven't thought about that..." He got up, looking outside of the window again. After a moment, he turned back. "Then... I better start teaching her how to keep a hybrid form. If she is going to fight, she needs to know how to fight in all forms."

"Let her decide," Rachael said, "In the long run, if the war is truly over, she may not have to be a fighter for the dragons. She's not really old enough to really know what she wants, but, if she wants to train with your team or train with us, I know she will flourish. Even if she decides later that she does not wish to follow that path, she'll still have the skills to defend herself. But, to be honest, all of us will have an indirect say on her path. She was quite determined to rescue Edward and knew what she wanted. So, yes, teach her how to fight in different forms. It would not hurt her in the long run."

Solor sighed. "I am not looking forward to this... but I'll put it off for now. Once she has developed more, I'll start teaching her combat. I know Robin is taking care of her hand to hand combat, but I'll deal with the others." He sighed again, and started heading out to see his daughter. Obviously he didn't want his little girl learning how to fight, but he knew that it was important she learn how to defend herself.

"Brother," Edward said before Solor left, "Just in Jump City alone, how many citizens are not able to fight back or defend themselves? How durable is Soskrein right now? She may look to be an eight year old, and certainly acts like one, but, she's still only one year old and her life experience is going to show that regardless of how incredibly bright she is. Right now, she is the weakest link in your family. She got lucky with taking down Nightmare because he was not ready for her powers to not only awaken, but, for her to assault her mind. He could have killed her. She will need survival skills that you, me and your father can teach her. Just think about it, you do not need to reply now. It's been a long day."

"I'll think about it, Edward," Solor said as he left.

Kreinyol frowned a bit, but shook her head. "I am sure he shall feel better once the actual training begins. Sister Rachael, Sister Raven, shall we get back to planning the wedding? I have a few more details I want to do the hammering out."

Raven groaned. "I told you, Star, you are not making us wear those cute animal hair clips that you found at the mall last week."

"But they are the most adorable things!" Kreinyol insisted. Edward took that moment of distraction to hightail it out of there before she asked his opinion.

[Traitor] he heard Rachael say to him.

[Sorry, honey, best to not get fashion advice for a wedding from a guy] Edward replied.

[Whatever you say.]

She heard Edward chuckling in the background. He would have vetoed it anyway, but, his departure left the girls to argue about it.

[It might be you and Raven against two Tamaranians anyway. Kori might be easily swayed,] Edward replied, [I am not going to be strong armed into wearing a pretty butterfly. I'd never hear the end of it from the dragons in Lair! "Awww, look at how Kiinnum, our fearless leader is so weak, he cannot persuade an alien that he doesn't need those things in his hair." And, remind Kreinyol that it would be a REALLY bad idea to get His Highness to wear a pretty bow. An emperor does not wear plastic, adorable pink and yellow butterflies.]

He could barely hear Kreinyol saying something that he assumed was a swear word in Tamaranian and laughed.

[She did not like that one, smart-aleck] Raven piped up.

[Yeah, I think I heard clorbag in there] Rachael said chuckling.

Edward caught up with Solor and Susie who were playing around. He decided that it wouldn't hurt to join them. It would help him decompress and recover his energy after that bruising fight.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Uncle!" Soskrein said, "Come on! Let's have some fun!"

"We were just about to play her favorite game; Predator and Prey", he says, chuckling a bit. "Basically, the goal of the game is that Susie has to try to elude us for five minutes. If one of us catches her, then she loses. If she gets away, she wins. It's like mortal Hide and Seek, except she can move around. It's a game most mothers in Lair play with their hatchlings to teach them how to hide and elude bigger dragons."

Edward smirked. "Since when do you know anything about being a mother?" he joked.

Solor stuck out his tongue, as he usually does when someone questions his logic. "I may not be a mother, but I'll still play with my daughter if I want to."

Edward made his Three Stooges move and Solor pulled back, "Oh no, you don't!"

Susie giggled, meanwhile. "The only rules I have to follow is no going in Uncle Beast Boy's or Aunt Raven's rooms."

"One because Raven appreciates her privacy... and the other because I'm not sure Beast Boy cleans his room more than once a month", Solor said, making a face. "He may be with Terra, but that doesn't mean he has the best habits of keeping his room clean..."

"Yeah," Edward said, "Going into Raven's room is never a good idea. Regardless of universe, she gets really annoyed. Back home, I'm the only one allowed."

Edward laughed. "Alright. So, how do we know that we've caught Susie?"

Solor decided to demonstrate, quickly grabbing Susie and "eating" her neck, causing her to shriek. "Daddy!" she whined. "Not fair! We didn't start yet!"

"Gotcha", Edward said, smiling. "Shall we start? But, let's make it more interesting: Let's give her say 15 minutes to evade us. It will mean more to Susie's life experience if she can elude us for that long or as long as possible before being caught."

"Yep. Susie, start running, or we're gonna eat you!" Solor said, holding his hands up "menacingly" and causing her to squeal before she ran off. "Give her thirty seconds. She'll have found a hiding spot by then. And if the others ask, just say that you're a Predator. They'll get it. Heck, Cy and Beast Boy might decide to join in. And, yeah, the increased time sounds good."

"The use of powers, like shapeshifting, allowed?" Edward asked.

"Of course", Solor replied, smirking. "Anything goes, really."

Edward got a glint in his eye and smirked, "Well, I'll play fair and not use teleportation, though. OK, little niece...Watch out for the Big, Bad Wolf!" He counted off 15 more seconds and morphed to a large Grey wolf.

He sniffed the air and got her scent and took off at a quick pace.

Solor muttered, "I gotta get him to teach me those other forms." He took off after Edward, determined to get to Soskrein before Edward could.

Susie, meanwhile, was not as naive as the others thought. She knew she could hide in the ops center, since her mother, Raven, and Rachael were all talking about the wedding. She hid behind the couch, not wanting to get detected by the others. If Kreinyol knew she was the Prey, she'd probably join in.

Solor decided to play it a bit unfair, and was following Edward. Since he couldn't follow Soskrein's scent that well, he had to resort to following his brother. However, when Edward stopped at the ops and reverted back to his human form, Solor groaned. "She's hiding in there, isn't she?"

"Yep", Edward replied. "And because the girls are in there discussing the wedding, we can't catch her without risking being asked our opinion on the wedding... which is a bad idea for both of us."

"Yeah... but I do know a way to get her." He held up his communicator, smirking. "Solor calling Kreinyol and Raven."

Soon, both of them appeared on the screen. "What is it, Husband Solor?" Kreinyol asked. "Is Susie supposed to be with you?"

"Well that is the problem, my love", Solor said, smirking. "I'm playing the part of the Predator... but it seems the Prey is a cheater."

Before anyone could react, Susie could be seen jumping up from behind the couch, yelling, "Dad, you're a dirty stinking cheater!" before bolting for the other exit. Kreinyol laughed, and soon gave chase, leaving Raven to cover her mouth in an attempt not to laugh, while Rachael got very confused.

"Um... what is going on?" she asked.

Edward reverted back to his Wolf form and explained via the link. Unlike Raven, Rachael broke out laughing.

"Want to join in the fun?" she asked.

Kreinyol had already taken off to join in the fun while Rachael started flying herself. Raven merely said, "Yeah, right." and stayed put.

Susie had gone to her dragon form, but, that didn't deter Edward's tracking ability. He headed up to the roof as her scent lead straight up there. But, when Edward got there, he realized that she had become airborne, and the wind was strong enough to blow her scent away.

He growled as Solor caught up.

"She's airborne?" Solor asked, getting a yip in response.

"That's a new one," Solor said, "She knows to stay around Titan Island, though."

That gave Edward an idea and he morphed back for a moment, "Interesting. She's a lot smarter than we've realized. I think she knew I can track her scent in a different form. Wanna bet she's hiding down below?"

"Say, dinner at a rib joint?" Solor said. Edward nodded, "Sounds good. You take the northern part of the 'T' and I'll take the southern end."

"What about us, Friend Edward?" Kreinyol asked.

"Take the sunrise side, and, Rachael, take the west side," Edward said as he got into the game more. "The one who flushes her out wins a dinner. If it's someone from my universe, Raven opens a tear and the others eat there. If your side wins, Rachael and I come back for dinner. Check under the top of the 'T' as well."

Edward formed an eagle and started to drift down on the thermals. As he drifted down, the others were also looking for her.

Soskrein, though, was hiding in the rocks and saw the others start to search for her.

She saw her dad, her k'norfka, Rachael and what looked like an eagle.

_Uncle Edward is an eagle? If I move, he might see me!_ She realized.

As Edward was circling, he thought he saw something and turned his neck to see a bit better.

Letting out an eagle cry, he dove hard.

Soskrein saw the eagle heading for her and she ran as fast as she could for the big double doors.

They slid open allowing Soskrein to enter and then closed. Edward couldn't stop in time and crashed into one of them. He fell to the ground and morphed back. He was seeing stars (or in this case little Ravens and little dragons).

"Ouch!" he said as he cracked his neck.

The doors opened then and Edward resumed the chase, determined to catch his niece.

"She's mine," Edward said with a smirk.

"Not so fast!" said Solor. He had opted for a more sleek, agile looking dragon form, and was easily passing by Edward. "My daughter, my prey!"

"Hmph," Edward said, "Tell that to my aching neck." He was trying to be serious, but, the glint of playfulness betrayed him.

Solor smirked. "Then try to beat me to her!" He quickly sped up, trying to catch Susie, but she turned suddenly and he skidded past the hall. "Oi! That's cheating, that is!" he yelled in a Celtic accent.

"Is not!" she yelled behind her. She quickly ducked into another hallway, hoping that she'd be able to avoid Edward for a little longer, and hoped that he didn't teleport to catch her. Unfortunately for her, she had a couple of chasers that she didn't realize had caught up, and suddenly, she was being tackled from the air. Suddenly, she felt expert fingers tickling her sides while a familiar set of teeth began nibbling on her neck, causing her to shriek and laugh as both Kreinyol and Rachael tormented the little girl.

Edward chuckled, watching the sight as Solor caught up, back in his hybrid form. "So... who won?" he asked, looking at the two mothers tickling his daughter.

"Couldn't tell", Edward said. "They kinda tackled her at the same time."

Solor chuckled, shaking his head. "You know what? I'll give you this one. It's been a while since I visited your universe." He then grinned evilly. "In the meantime, cheaters get their just desserts." With that, he joined in the fun, pulling Susie out of his mate's grip before he began taking his turn tormenting his ticklish daughter.

Edward could only laugh as he watched the father and daughter bond more. It was a good thing Solor had such a healthy relationship with her now. He needed it if he was going to be training her in the future.


	11. Wedding Day

**Chapter 10**

**[Jump City - 1 Month Later]**

"I don't think I can go through with this..."

Solor had to admit, the whole fact that he was here at a mortal wedding ceremony for the first time in hundreds of years, and it was his OWN wedding, he was rather nervous. He was in a human form, dressed up in a tuxedo with a red vest and tie, looking at himself in the mirror.

"I mean... this is the wedding day. This is a big deal", Solor said to himself. "What if something goes wrong? What if Starfire gets so upset, she doesn't want to go through with it? What if..." He shook his head. "Stop thinking that, Solor. I shouldn't be thinking like this. Kreinyol loves me, I love her, we're getting married. What could go wrong?" He groaned, pulling at his hair a bit. "So much can go wrong..." Finally, he slammed his head against the table in front of the mirror. "I am doomed."

"Easy, brother," Edward soothed, "Believe it or not, I had the same problem in 1751. Nothing going to go wrong. Both teams of Titans are here, this universe's Justice League is here as well. The Circle will be here in human forms as well."

"I'm not worried about that, Edward," Solor said.

"You are worried that Kreinyol may not want to go through with this?" Edward asked, "Trust me, she's as nervous about this as you are."

"Rachael's telling you that?" Solor asked.

"Nope," Edward replied, "I've been around Tamaranians longer than you have. Being more driven by emotion, it stands to reason that she's fretting just as much. And with the same questions in her mind. Rach will try to calm her down, though.

"You two are already married according to Dragon custom and even law now that the prohibition is lifted. This is just for her, and, for the rest of us. If she can bring down Dark Dragons in DC, this will be a walk in the park."

"Kiinnum's right, son," Sol said. "The mortal world saw her forcing a Dragon out of the air. And, once you two are formally married, she will be allowed into Lair as your rightful mate anyway. The clans will respect her on her strength alone, so, they'll leave her alone."

"That doesn't make things easier," Solor groused.

"Starborn," Edward said, "You have not admitted any weakness in over a year and you managed to overcome that. That was your biggest battle: With yourself. Trust me: Every bride and groom goes though this same pre-wedding jitters. 'Does she really love me?' or 'Will she get cold feet?' Or "What if I get cold feet and don't want to go through with this?'"

Solor sighed, "I still do not understand that phrase."

"It's easy," Edward said, "It's got nothing to do with literal cold feet or in our case, talons. It means when one is reconsidering a major decision. I don't need Raven's telepathy to see that you are really worried. Don't be. I have not picked up on any concerns on Rachael's part or even Raven. All the vibes I get from Starfire is that she is comfortable with this, she's excited to the point that someone might have to hold her down or she'll fly away without meaning to."

Solor actually laughed at the visual, smiling. "Well, then I suppose we could have our wedding in the air. Does make all of the donated money for decorations seem like a waste, though, so I'll make sure to keep her on the ground." He then thought about it. "Who donated the money to help pay for the wedding, anyway?"

Sol thought about it. "The check was written by a sir Bruce Wayne... well, that takes me back a bit."

"You know him, father?" Solor asked.

"Yes. I was there for his parents' funeral", Sol admitted. "I was under disguise as a cop when I was called to help a boy whose parents were shot. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to help save them. But I did make sure Bruce was home safe and sound after the funeral. He... didn't want to be alone. But ultimately, I had to lose touch with him because of my duties in Lair. Maybe I should call him up. I'm sure he'd love a chat with his old friend, Officer Jack Lightscale." He chuckled at a memory. "He almost caught me as a dragon though, so I'm not sure if he'll want to talk to me."

"Hey, if he knows about dragons, maybe he's put two and two together and he's donating to try to repay your kindness", Solor theorized. "I mean... that's what I would have done."

Edward meanwhile only smirked, knowing the true reason why Bruce Wayne donated to help pay for the wedding. Over the last couple of years, Robin was officially on talking terms with his old mentor, and when he learned that one of Robin's best friends was getting married, the check showed up a few days later.

Also, even though Solor and his father didn't know it, Bruce was at the first meeting between the League and the Dragons that fateful day when Darkness made itself known. Neither of them knew that Bruce was the Dark Knight, Batman. Edward opted not to say anything about that, though. After all, a promise is a promise regardless of universe.

Edward couldn't duplicate his partnership with Bruce in this universe. Here, Edward couldn't tell Batman that he knew about them being one and the same. There wasn't that same level of trust. Edward was content with that one, though.

"Who knows?" Edward said, "But, let's try to keep the bride's feet on the ground, shall we?

"As for Mr. Wayne, let his reasons be his own."

Solor nodded. "Well, we sent him an invitation when we could. Maybe we'll see him? Either way... I should finish getting ready. I hope Starfire isn't driving the girls crazy..."

**[Raven's area]**

Edward was right. Starfire was going through the same pre-wedding jitters and it was Rachael being the calming voice of reason and experience. Except, in this case... Edward was right in both terms. She was literally hovering all over the place, making sure everything was perfect in her room.

"Starfire, calm down", Rachael said, smiling as she watched her young friend fly around the room. "If you don't, you won't be able to get in the dress quick enough."

"But I am so delighted, Sister Rachael!" Kreinyol said, her aura practically dripping with joy. "I have waited a long time for this, and the day has finally arrived! I am getting married!"

Rachael shook her head. "How are you going to be able to get through the ceremony if you can't stand still for five minutes?"

Kreinyol finally got the hint, and dropped back down so that her feet were touching the floor. "I am... sorry. I am just so nervous and excited and anxious all at once! I do not know what to do!"

"Step one: breathe", Rachael replied. Starfire nodded, taking a few deep breaths before slowly letting them out, working on calming herself down. "Step two: get in the dress."

Starfire obeyed, slipping behind the changing screen. Rachael could see her silhouette removing her garments, and as she did, she spoke up. "Were you this excited on your wedding day?" Starfire asked.

"I was a nervous wreck, Star," Rachael said, "I had Edward in the back of my head the whole time and his feelings were affecting mine. But, I was also happy. After Malchior, I didn't want to feel love again. It had hurt so much when he revealed that he used me. It took Beast Boy to get me to open up, even a little. And, for a while, before Edward showed up, I wasn't sure about anything. And, after Terra was recovered, my heart almost broke all over again. I knew when she returned that Beast Boy would go back to her. The only thing that kept me from a complete breakdown was Edward. He really got me out out of my shell. But, on the wedding day, I was nervous and excited as well. He had respected me the entire time and didn't touch me in ... that way ... until our wedding night."

Starfire came out a few moments later in a spectacular wedding gown and a few ornaments holding her hair up.

"Step three: remain calm," Raven said, "We can't have you flying away. We have a moment to meditate, if you wish."

"No, no", Kreinyol said. "I am... very happy, but I can control myself... at least, until we make lip contact. Then there are no promises I shall be able to keep my feet on the ground." She smiled at Rachael, hugging her. "Thank you so much, Sister. If it were not for you... I do not think Husband Solor and I would be together. At least... not so soon. I am very happy for you as well... you have a beautiful daughter, a husband who loves you very much..." Kreinyol smiled happily. "We are very lucky, are we not?"

Rachael smiled, and hugged her friend back. "You have no idea", she replied.

It was at that moment that Susie walked in. "Mommy, how do I look?" she asked, twirling around. She was in a red, frilly dress.

"Oh, you look beautiful, my dear bumgorf!" Kreinyol said, walking over. "I think you shall make the most beautiful flower girl."

"Thanks, Mommy!" she said, smiling. "Daddy said that, too. He's almost ready, too."

"Then I think we'll be starting soon", came a familiar voice. Vilea walked in, wearing a red dress as well, although not quite as frilly. Her black hair was tied up in a messy bun, with a few bangs parting around her face. "I don't understand why you'd want me as a bridesmaid, though. I'm... not the best choice."

Kreinyol just smiled, walking over. "Well, I thought it would be a fun mother and daughter activity. I know you wish to spend more time with Soskrein, and you have more than earned a place as my friend."

Vilea looked away, frowning. "And to think, a year ago, we were enemies..." She then let out a squeak as Kreinyol hugged her.

"No sad faces!" she chastised. "Not today!"

Vilea blinked, before smiling. "Right. Sorry. I forgot that I'm not allowed to be sad on your wedding day."

Edward walked in and smiled, "Vilea, I'm glad you could make it! She's right. This a day of happiness and it would not do to be sad. If Starfire says that you've earned a spot as a friend, that's a compliment. And in your case, you're a forgiven friend.

"Come here, though, let me fix that bun, if that's OK?"

"You'd do that for an enemy?" she asked.

"No, but, for a friend and a sister, I have no problem with that. I meant what I said a month ago, Vilea: I consider you a sister by right now. You do not have to return that sentiment, though," Edward said.

Vilea walked over and sat down in the chair Rachael vacated.

It took Edward about 5 minutes to fix his former enemy's hair into a nicer bun.

"Wow!" Susie said, "Uncle made you look really pretty, Aunt Vilea!"

Susie handed Vilea a mirror and that got a smile out of the acting Grand Darkness. "Thank you," she said.

"No problem, Vilea," he said and turned towards Soskrein.

"Are you ready, Susie?" Edward asked.

"I've been ready, Uncle!" she said happily.

"Well, it's time to go then," Edward said.

Edward and the others headed out. As this was a more low-key ceremony than his own, the guest list was pretty small any way.

Edward saw Solor already waiting for everyone and joined him at the front of the aisle.

Waiting at the altar, Solor looked at his groomsmen. Edward took his spot by his side as Best Man, and next to him was Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg. Surprisingly, at the end of it, was the dragon called Nightwing. Solor had offered him a spot as a groomsmen, and when he was questioned, he merely replied, "Without your information, we wouldn't be here today. The least I can do to thank you is have you there at my wedding."

Edward had also gone over to him and shook his hand. They had patched up the damage Edward had done in the intervening months to the point Nightwing was no longer cowering in mortal fear.

"You've earned this honor, man," Edward had said, "Even if we would still have been enemies, I would have set aside those differences. But, as we are no longer enemies, how about we consider one another friends?" Nightwing nodded, "I'd like that, Edward."

They heard the music start, and the bridesmaids began their walk up the aisle. First was Vilea, who blushed at all the attention she was getting. Next was Kitten, another surprise choice for a bridesmaid. She just smiled as she walked up the aisle, followed by Terra, who had her hair in a simple ponytail. Then next was Raven, who had grown her hair out a bit in the last couple of weeks before today. Finally, Rachael walked down the aisle, taking her spot in the line before a new piece of music began to play.

Finally came Susie and one of her human friends, as the flower girl and ring bearer. They took point as Kreinyol was walked down the aisle by Galfore, who was holding back tears. At the end, Solor took Kreinyol's hand, and shook Galfore's with his free hand. The emperor then sat down to watch the proceedings.

Now that they were both up front, Solor could get a good look at Starfire in her wedding dress. She looked absolutely beautiful, much better than the wedding dress she was going to wear during her engagement with Blackfire's 'friend'. He blushed at how beautiful she was, and couldn't help but smile. "You look great, my love", he said.

"As do you", she replied, her own cheeks heating up.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Solor, Heir to the Grand Light, and Starfire, Princess of Tamaran", said the priest. Of course, neither Solor or Starfire celebrated the mortal religions of Earth, so Sol managed to find a dragon who was willing and able to do the job. "In the name of the First, may this be a holy unity, bound through the ages." He turned to Solor. "You may speak your vows."

Solor, of course, went first. "My dearest Kreinyol... I know that our relationship has been... rocky, before. There have been times of doubt, times of sadness, and anger. But there have also been great times that I have had with you. Better than anything else I have seen in my long years. And I know that I will wish for more moments like the ones I've had with you. My words that I said when we got together... those will never change, even as the land on this world changes. I will take care of you as long as you are willing to take care of my heart. I will admit... I was nervous before... but seeing you here, and seeing the love in your eyes... I know now that our love will never fade."

Kreinyol let out a sniffle, having become so happy as she heard him speak. It was her turn, and she spoke from her heart. "I remember years ago... before we got together... you have always been there for me from the very start. From the Centauri devices trying to kidnap me, to Blackfire trying to replace me... Even when Kitten wanted to go on a date with you... your first concern was me and the rest of the city. It's that selflessness that I first fell in love with, Solor. And your words... they work both ways." She let a tear fall from her happiness as she spoke. "I will take care of you for as long as you shall take care of my heart."

The members of the Circle were nodding in approval, smiling happily. Sol was in his normal human form, looking much like Solor with short hair. Fire had opted for a chiseled look, with a bit of a beard growing. Water, in the meantime, took for a very lithe, agile form, with her hair bobbing at her ears. Earth was, no doubt, not used to being so small, as even now, he still was close to seven feet tall, dwarfing everyone but Galfore. Life and Death, meanwhile, sat next to each other, and looked like polar opposites. Death was very young looking, very gangly and had a big nose, while Life was rather old looking, and very plump, looking more like a harmless grandmother than a dragon.

Solor and Kreinyol both smiled, as the dragon priest continued on with the ceremony. "Take hold of the rings", he said. "This band of gold is representative to our Circle of Reality. The flow of time is constant, and so long as it flows, your love too shall be constant." They smiled at the words, and slipped the rings on each other. "Now... for the last bit. Do you, Solor of the Light, take Starfire of Tamaran to be your wife, in sickness in health, in rich and poor, through the never ending circle of Life, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I shall, so help me First", Solor replied, smiling at his bride.

"Starfire of Tamaran, do you take Solor of the Light to be your husband, through sickness and health, through rich and poor, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I shall", Starfire said. "I shall love for as long as I live and in the next life as well."

"Are there any who believe that these two should not be wed? If so, speak now, or shut up." That got a few chuckles out of the congregation, but no one stood up to stop the wedding. "Didn't think so. Then, by the power vested in me, in the name of the First and by the countries of the United States, United Kingdom, and Russia, I hereby pronounce you as husband and wife. You may now seal your love with a kiss."

The reaction was instantaneous. Starfire threw the flowers in her hand behind her, letting Terra catch the bouquet, before she practically tackled Solor, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss that he happily returned.

"May I introduce to the world the unity of Solor and Starfire", the priest said, causing the congregation to stand up and clap happily for the newly wed couple.

The group headed off towards a reception hall Robin had rented out for the day where there was a massive wedding feast laid out. Solor had to gently remind Galfore that he really should not smash the items together and pig out that way.

They arrived after about 30 minutes and the party really got started. That's when everyone had a blast and eventually, it was time for the traditional speech from the Best Man.

Edward got up to the mic and gently tapping his glass to get folks attention he began.

"Today marks an historic event in not just Earth's history, but, even local interplanetary history as for the first time here, a Dragon and a mortal have gotten married. Not just in the custom of the Dragons, but, in the eyes of the human race as well. This is also the first time an Earth species has married someone from another world.

"This marriage between Solor and Starfire was several years in the making. It was set in motion by Solor's banishment from his homeland and ended up here, in Jump City at a pivotal point in history as an angry and frightened Tamaranian princess escaped her captors and encountered a group of teens who at first misunderstood her intentions and wanted to fight. But, here Solor realized what was wrong and moved to intervene. He freed this young woman from her bonds and because she did not know English, kissed Solor to learn it. That act started both down the path that got us here today.

"However, one of our guests unwittingly played the biggest role by possessing Raven and opening a portal to another universe. This act tossed Solor into my lap and, well, it wasn't the best of starts. No need to go over that, though.

"But, several days later, Starfire was sucked away as well, by accident and I had to race across the bay to catch her. Imagine my surprise when I saw who it was. Solor and I took her to the Medical Bay in the tower to monitor her condition. It was a mere precaution though.

"It only took a few days for Rachael and I to realize that there was the same attraction there that was between our Nightwing and Kori. Both came to us with conflicted feelings so, we decided to meditate on the issue. Solor then realized that what we told him made sense and he asked her to take care of his heart, as he would take care of her. He had chosen his mate and I, for one, was quite happy with that.

"A year later, well, we know what happened. The long standing war came to a head and then, an end when Trigon and the former Grand Darkness were defeated. What has not been told was that Solor formally claimed Starfire before then and incurred the wrath of the Circle on both of us. That could have defeated them by taking out the two bigger players who ended the war.

"That is in the past, though. Today, enemies are now friends. The Dark Dragon that possessed Raven is here, not only an invited guest, but, one of Star's bridesmaids. Vilea, the acting Grand Darkness, thank you for setting in motion the wheels that got us all here. We are honored by your presence.

"I see the other members of the Circle as well. They, by their presence, have blessed this union, and we are greatly honored by their presence.

"I cannot leave out Emperor Galfore of Tamaran who is here to celebrate his ward's marriage. Sire, you honor us with your presence.

"Then, we have this universe's Teen Titans, Solor's extended family who have been Solor's source of strength as well. Not in a literal sense, but, on the inside. They helped give him the strength to fight for others. He fought for his love, he fought for Susie's right to even be here. But, when Starfire's life was threatened, Oblaan found out as he died that it's not a good idea to insult the people he loves.

"Susie...You have the greatest parents ever. It doesn't matter to me how you came about, you have already shown such inner strength and determination that no one's going to be able to deter you. You are an absolute joy to be around that Rachael and I are very proud that you are our goddaughter.

"I cannot leave out my universe's Titans who supported Solor and count him as a welcomed brother as well when he visits.

"And to Bruce Wayne: Thank you for donating the funds for everything. It is greatly appreciated.

"Folks, if you would please stand and raise your glasses.

"A toast: To Starborn, Heir to the Light. A dragon I am honored to call a brother. A dragon who is one of my best friends. May your time with Starfire be full of love and a lifetime of fun. May the First bless this union of souls. To Starfire, Princess of Tamaran. Someone who, regardless of universe, a woman who I have come to adore as a friend and a sister in arms. A fellow warrior one should be honored to have at their side. May your time at Solor's side also be full of love and fun."

"Hear, Hear!" went the cry from the others familiar with the custom. Behind Batman's mask, Bruce Wayne smiled.

"You big softy," Wonder Woman said _soto voce._

Edward sat down and was handed Cally as Rachael got up to say a few words.

Rachael, not as wordy as Edward tends to be merely offered a toast to the new couple before sitting down.

Edward had to pat Cally on the back and she let out a small flame powered burp!

"Ooops!" Edward said and morphed to his small dragon form, only to see Superman put out that problem.

Edward morphed back, "Thanks!"

David said, "Let me take her, Pop." He was still thrilled at being a big brother and looked forward to taking Cally on flights and taking the time to help teach her things that she would need to know.

Edward handed off the infant who looked up at her big brother and cooed happily. David took a sniff and regretted it, though.

"Uhh, Raven?" he said, "Cally has made a ..."

She handed him the diaper bag and smirked.

"Gee, thanks, Mom," he said as he headed off towards the men's room.

A few moments later they heard a "PEW!"

Edward chuckled then they heard a "You gotta be kidding me?!"

"I think she baptized him," Edward said.

David emerged a few minutes later griping, "I should have remembered that one."

"Well, congratulations. It's stinky", Solor teased, chuckling. He looked over to the wedding band, and noticed they were getting ready to really play. He got an idea rather quickly, and stood up. "I believe it's almost time for our first dance, Kreinyol... but I have to delay it a little bit. This is too good an opportunity to pass up." With that, he walked over to the band, whispering in the leader's ear.

"Yeah, we can play that one", the leader responded, smiling. "Planning a little serenade?"

"Something like that", Solor said, smiling. He grabbed a couple spare microphones, making sure they were working, before he motioned for the band to start playing. "Kreinyol... this song holds the message you should always know. No matter how much time passes... I will always love you." With that, he opened his mouth, and began to sing.

_When life leaves you high and dry, I'll be at your door tonight__  
__When you need help, when you need help__  
__I'll shut down the city lights, I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe__  
__To keep you well, to keep you well__  
__When enemies are at your door to carry you away to war__  
__When you need help, when you need help__  
__Your hope dangling by a string, I'll share in your suffering__  
__To keep you well, to keep you well_

_Give me reason to believe__  
__That you would do the same for me__  
__And I would do it for you, for you__  
__Baby, I'm not moving on, I'll love you long after you're gone__  
__For you, for you__  
__You will never sleep alone, I'll love you long after you're gone__  
__And long after you're gone, gone, gone._

As Solor sang, everyone could feel the love that he radiated. It was a surprisingly warm, gentle feeling that no one would have expected a year ago from the gruff dragon. Starfire noted that he had grabbed two microphones, and realized what he wanted. With a happy giggle, she flew out of her seat, landing next to him and beginning the next verse.

_When you fall like a statue, I'm gonna be there to catch you__  
__Put you on your feet, you on your feet__  
__And if your well is empty, not a thing will prevent me__  
__Tell me what you need, what do you need_

_I surrender honestly, you've always done the same for me._

_And I would do it for you, for you__  
__Baby, I'm not moving on, I'll love you long after you're gone__  
__For you, for you__  
__You will never sleep alone, I'll love you long after you're gone__  
__And long after you're gone, gone, gone._

At this point, both of them had started singing, their voices melding perfectly as they sang together.

_You're my backbone, you're my cornerstone__  
__You're my crutch when my legs stop moving__  
__You're my head start, you're my rugged heart__  
__You're the post that I've always needed_

_Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating__  
__Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating__  
__Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating__  
__Like a drum, my heart never stops beating_

_For you, for you__  
__Baby, I'm not moving on, I'll love you long after you're gone__  
__For you, for you__  
__You will never sleep alone, I'll love you long after you're gone_

_For you, for you__  
__Baby, I'm not moving on, I'll love you long after you're gone__  
__For you, for you__  
__You will never sleep alone, I'll love you long after you're gone_

_Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating__  
__Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating__  
__Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating__  
__Like a drum, my hear never stops beating for you._

_And long after you're gone, gone, gone__  
__I'll love you long after you're gone, gone... gone._

At the end of the song, the whole reception erupted into applause and whistles, as the married couple shared yet another kiss. Susie, especially, was very happy, and soon ran over to hug both of her parents, giggling happily as her mother lifted her up, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Well, it was a bit unorthodox, but they did sing their first song together", Beast Boy said. "Think that counts?"

"Probably for the best", Terra decided. "Better than having him try to dance again... he still stinks at that."

Rachael was wiping a tear after the song ended and oddly enough, so was Raven, who would have passed it off as "Something got into my eye."

Edward was impressed, though. Both sang quite well as Sol want up to his son and new daughter-in-law and hugged them both.

The band waited for a moment while the stage was cleared and started the next song.

"Time for the best man to dance with the bride," he said and got up.

He approached Solor and Starfire. "It is traditional for the Best Man to have a dance with the bride. Solor, grab Rachael up as well. Just let her lead, all right. I've been teaching her some good steps and this is a slow song."

Edward and Kreinyol got up and headed for the dance floor.

Solor looked nervously at the dance floor, but Rachael grabbed his arm. "Oh, no you don't. If Edward and Starfire can dance, you sure can, too." She dragged him out, getting him into position as the dance started. However, she was surprised as he immediately took lead, unlike what Edward had suggested. She then gave a small smirk. "You've had lessons."

"I shall admit, Robin and Raven have been rather... adamant that I learn how to dance", Solor said, chuckling. "I've been mimicking Robin's moves for the past few months, with Raven as my partner. It's time to see if those moves are of good use."

"Well, this is a slow song, buddy, so tone it down on the moves for now", Rachael said, smiling. "Just take the lead, and feel the music."

"Yes, ma'am", he replied, getting a small chuckle out of her. The two continued dancing, even though Solor and Rachael would rather be dancing with their significant others.

Edward had a hard time keeping Kreinyol's feet on the floor, for obvious reasons, but, he didn't mind.

"Robin's been teaching you?" he asked.

"He has been doing the teaching," she confirmed.

The song lasted several minutes and even Beast Boy and Terra were impressed.

"On second thought, Smoke Breath has improved," she said, "He didn't step on Rachael's foot once."

The next dance, though, it was the newlyweds and the best man/maid of honor's turn. That suited everyone just fine.

After that dance ended, the floor was opened up to the rest of the guests and Edward was surprised to see Sol and Grand Water out of the floor and he went over to Grand Life and holding out a hand said, "May I have this dance, milady?" She looked surprised, but, after a nudge from Earth, she nodded.

"I'd be honored," she replied as they hit the floor, "It's not often someone not of the Circle is allowed this."

"Grand Life," Edward said, "Today, we're all equal. No status to maintain. Enjoy it."

They enjoyed the dance immensely, Life might have looked like someone dear sweet mother or grandmother, but, she still knew how to enjoy herself.

After that slower number was done, the band livened things up a bit and allowed the younger set to let loose.

Edward decided to enjoy a draft beer and got Rachael something lighter to drink.

The normal father-bride dance was foregone, seeing how Galfore towered over everyone, including Grand Earth! But, even Earth got in a dance or two.

After a while, the meal was set out and it was decided to use a buffet style. It turned out to be a good thing, Solor realized.

The reception lasted for a long time, but, finally it was time to let the various superheroes and dragons go about their business.

Koriand'r had agreed to stay in Solor's universe to cover for Kreinyol's absence and Edward had decided to stay there as well.

Edward had been working on his skill in casting the Tear of Oblivion since his return from the original Solor's world, so it was easier to travel between the universes. Also, he would not be caught off-guard again.

After most of the guests had left, via various means, Edward said to Solor, "You guys ready for the official honeymoon. Two weeks in glorious Hawaii?"

"We are ready," he replied with a grin.

"Luggage? Or do you plan on being naked? Last I checked, that was frowned on," Edward said.

"Back at the Tower, smart..." Solor started to say, but, a jet-black sphere appeared and Raven said, "Solor, I figured you'd forget something in all the excitement."

Grand Life said, "Starborn, there is one more present that the Circle would like for you to enjoy. Everyone else, please stand aside."

They complied with her request and her eyes lit up with a green color as she chanted the words she used on Edward a year ago. A dark shadow appeared to be expelled before fading away.

"Congrats, son!" Sol said with a smile, "The same enchantment that prevented you and your mate from being parents has been removed forever. It's a precaution, actually. The going theory is the same reason why Edward and his first wife could have a child, and that the the spell would have ignored her, but, we wanted to be sure."

"Does that mean Mommy and Daddy can give me a brother or sister?" Susie asked.

"It does, sweetheart," Sol said looking at his granddaughter.

"YAY!" Susie cheered, "Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Grand Life!" Susie averted her gaze and Life said, "No need to that today, Soskrein of the Twilight. The Circle is not here, just a bunch of dragons celebrating with your daddy." She reinforced that with a hug.

"Kiinnum, when Starborn and his wife are gone, I would like to talk to you." Edward nodded, "Of course."

He continued, "I'll open the Tear to my Tower. Once there, the Titans will take you the rest of the way in the T-Ship.

"Bex Nu! Luv do Oblivion!"

Solor and Kreinyol stepped through and Grand Life turned to Edward and said, "As you know, each member of the Circle needs to find an heir and while I know you are technically a Light dragon, your hybrid nature allows any member of the Circle to name you as an heir. I would be honored if you would consent to being my Heir."

Edward was staggered by the request and said, "Wow! I am honored to say the least. But, I would like some time to think about it and discuss it with my teammates and Rachael."

Life smiled, "There's no rush. I just want you to think about it. I know this will remove you from your universe as well, but, I think over the decades, we can work around that should you want to spend more time there with your offspring."

"I know someday I will want to retire for a while," Edward said, "And if that means leaving the universe I grew up in for a while, I would be willing to do that, especially if my children come with me. Well, I can't speak for my eldest. He's earned his right to make his own choices. I also can't expect Rachael to live forever. I have grown tired of the fighting, yet, I am still fighting for what's right. Using my strength to protect the weak is an honor in itself. Having a grown son is an honor as well. And, well, being Soskrein's godfather...you have no idea how much of a pleasure it is. And my daughter...is the greatest reward you all could have given me. I don't even mind the loss of what you all gave me before. That served a purpose to gain a lasting peace.

"But, to be honest: I don't know enough about my own people. What the traditions are, for example. Sure, I know about averting one's own gaze in your presence. But, what am I missing? How could I he anyone's heir when I have only been back for a year or so and not even full time?"

Edward sighed, "And, I saw what my future could hold as well. I could end up like the Traitor. Insane and drunk with power. I have seen so many of my friends grow old and die over three thousand years I have lost count. And the Titans will also grow old and pass away and that's if they are lucky. They stand a better chance of dying in battle and while I would mourn them as fallen warriors ought to be mourned, what if my wife is killed in a fight and that precious link is snapped like a branch in a storm? Would that be what sends me over the edge? When Paula, my first mate, died, the only thing that kept me from going on a rampage that would make Godzilla look like a gecko was my son. My other friends had died already and I helped bury them.

"When my Callisto had her mind snapped beyond anyone's ability to fix, I only had a warrior and her best friend to get me through that. When Callisto died by her own hand, I almost went on a rampage in my grief. It was that same warrior who was there and let me mourn and it was centuries between the two. The Callisto what was in this universe didn't have her mind snapped by the loss of an adopted son. It took the Dark Lair to do that trick."

"That reminds me, Edward," Sol said, "Since the war is over, I am curious: Did that one Dark Dragon, Nightwing, say something to have angered you? He seemed really afraid to be around you for a while."

"Remember when Starborn said that one of my trigger points is saying something bad about those I did call a girlfriend or a wife?" Edward replied. Sol nodded.

"Well, he called Callisto my plaything," Edward said, "I sort of blew my top with him and lit him up. Starborn actually ordered me to leave to cool down. Not one of my proudest moments and Starborn and Rachael reminded me that this is a different universe. I made it up to him, though. I was honor-bound to make it right and your son gave me the way to make it right. I used my healing powers on him to not only repair the damage I did, but, allowed his scales to regenerate faster. It turned his giving information under duress to a more cooperative providing of information.

"I was surprised when Starborn invited him to the ceremony and reception, but, it gave me an opportunity to mend any remaining fences. We're on good terms now, actually."

Sol nodded, "I am impressed. I half expected you to try to change the subject. But, you also probably pushed Nightwing onto our side with an act of kindness. Something I had not expected was Starborn being a voice of reason. There's certainly something about you that the Circle is impressed with. I was surprised when Vilea changed sides as well. Not that we mind that, though. We've noticed how you and Vilea are getting along now, and, that helps all of us."

Edward smiled, "Well, Vilea is as Dark, if not more so than either Raven or Rachael and she was sincere. It was worth extending the white flag on a personal level. I'm not mourning Oblaan's death and what she did to Solor initially justified her death. But, when she flipped, even she deserved another chance. She's making the best of it. From what I understand, she told Susie that she's her biological mother, and, helped teach her how to cast the Tear that got me home."

"Where is your home, though?" Fire asked.

"Where the heart is, Grand Fire," Edward responded, "Right now, My universe is home. Someday, though, I think Lair may qualify as a second home. I know when I am here, I do not feel that stress anymore that i sometimes felt in my universe."

Rachael came up holding the infant and said, "Daddy's turn to feed her."

Edward nodded and took Cally and the levitating bottle.

"This is your infant?" Earth rumbled.

"She is," Edward said with a smile as Cally took the bottle.

"She's going to be a strong one," Grand Death assessed, "Death will not touch her for a long time."

"Agreed," Life said, "She has the same gleam in her eyes that you did, Edward."

"Wait. Are we having a meeting of the Circle?" Edward asked.

"It's an informal meeting," Earth said, "We won't make a decision on her fate, if that's what you are worried about.

"But, I will say that this infant will be as strong as the Earth she will walk upon someday. I certainly approve."

Water added, "She will be able to flow around any obstacle in her path."

Sol said, "The light will shine brightly in her. I have no concerns.

The others decided to stay silent, though.

Sol smiled at Edward. "You certainly have a life to live for yourself. We will honor any decision you make, Kiinum. In the meantime, talk to your family, and if you feel the need, feel free to ask me or Solor any questions. We must return to Lair for now, but know that you and Ruuvak are always welcome in Lair. In fact, if you wish, bring your son and Callisto as well. I'm certain they'd both have a good time."

With that, another Tear was opened, and just like that, Edward was alone with his family to think about the offer.

"So, what is this Lair like, pop?" David asked.

"Amazing," Edward said, "The place is teeming with dragons of every clan. It's also huge. The center is an old extinct volcano. The dragons range from the Susie's size to how Grand Earth, in his native form is probably four times my full size. We can teleport over tomorrow, if you'd like."

"That's huge," David said, "No wonder he was pushing 7 feet."

"Edward," Rachael asked, "Are you going to take them up on their offer?"

"Not right away," Edward replied, "I need to really think about it and get more information first. It can wait until Solor is off his honeymoon, though. I'm not going to saddle him with this right now. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I want to just uproot everyone just to be an Heir. I might like the idea at first, but, not if it means having to leave you behind, Rae."

With that, they headed off towards the Tower as well. David knew that he needed a quick shower anyway.

**[Edward's Universe - Hawaii]**

Solor and Kreinyol both stepped off of the T-ship, luggage in tow. Solor turned to Nightwing, smiling. "Thanks for the ride, guys. We could have flown here, but I doubt we'd make good time thanks to all of the luggage."

"No problem, you two", Nightwing said. He had their communicators in hand. "We'll intercept any calls should anyone try to reach you. If there's an emergency we need you for, then we'll come get you personally. Otherwise, enjoy your time here."

"Alright", Solor said, smiling. "Now, git. How are you gonna miss us if you're still here?"

"Haha, yeah", Nightwing replied, grinning. "Have fun, you two!" he called before the T-ship sped off into the horizon, leaving the newly weds to enjoy the scenery.

"Shall we find our hotel?" Kreinyol asked, smiling.

"Yeah", Solor replied. "After the festivities, I could use the privacy to... unwind", he said, winking at his wife, who smiled hungrily at him.

They headed towards the nearest hotel, assuming it was theirs. Once they spoke with the receptionist, she handed them a key to the honeymoon suite, congratulating them on their wedding. As they headed inside, Solor could barely keep his jaw off of the ground, looking at the decorations.

"Wow..." he said, looking around. "They sure went all out with this room... and the view is fantastic."

Kreinyol smiled, slipping into the washroom while her husband gushed over everything. After a minute or so, she exited, sans the wedding dress, and tapped her husband's shoulder. He turned, and his grin grew.

"As I said... the view is fantastic", he said before his lips crashed on hers.

**[Conclusion]**

_Solor, Heir to the Light writes..._

_It's been an interesting couple of months, but, it was well worth it. Susie's powers are coming along nicely and she's in good hands back in Jump City. She really wanted to come along until Robin said that we needed the alone time._

_Hawaii's a wonderful place and reminds me of Lair as well. Edward did a wonderful job of planning things out for us. We even have the same suite that they had, from what we've been told. Kreinyol is thrilled about being here for the next two weeks. And, the Titans best NOT call her or I. We're on our honeymoon and a well deserved one at that. I don't even expect to see Edward unless it's really important. Then again, he's going to split his time between the two universes, just in case._

_Two weeks of fun in the sun and with some grebnaks at night!_

The End ... For Now.


End file.
